FUTURE TALENTED Spring Term 2019 - Issue 2 | Page 45

STEM
QUICK
• BP runs an annual STEM challenge
for schools in partnership with
STEM Learning.
• Previous winners of the challenge talk
about the impact on participating pupils
and provide tips for careers leaders.
• The theme of this year’s challenge is
re-imagining a solution to a real-life
problem. The closing date for
applications is 15 February 2019.
BREDON HILL ACADEMY – 2017 ULTIMATE STEM CHALLENGE WINNERS
What did Bredon’s winning
solution look like?
The group that won decided to
look at improving the fuel
economy of a drone. They did
this by looking into the principles
of flight and considered how they
could make a model that would
glide well – reducing the need
for fuel.
One of the students came
along to a session after watching
Life on Earth on TV and, having
seen a gliding lizard, suggested
using biomimicry. The group
concluded that while other
people had used birds for this in
the past, birds gain height by
flapping their wings (which would
not be achievable) and so
based designs on a lizard’s shape.
The designs they tested were
made out of card and after trying
various other designs, the ‘lizard
design’ went the furthest.
An instant impact of the
challenge was the progress
participating pupils made in
science that year. Two of the three
were the top-performing
pupils – one in particular made
amazing progress.
However, each of them
gained hugely in confidence. The
act of standing up in front of a
large group of people and talking
about their project to different
adults had a significant impact
on them, in all the subjects
they studied.
These students have now
moved on to high school but all
are taking triple science and
making fantastic progress.
Sally Huntly, STEM technician
ADVICE FOR
CAREERS LEADERS
etitions (it
and take part in comp
Set up a STEM club
e of self-
nc
freedom and experie
allows pupils a bit of
highlight
to
y
nit
e every opportu
management). Also tak
a STEM
ve
ha
we
,
ple
EM; for exam
the importance of ST
in various
where pupils engage
day (a day off timetable
ractions
att
it
activities) and we vis
cross-curricular STEM
s love
pil
pu
r
Ou
in Birmingham.
such as the Big Bang
Science Week.
resources,
Learning website for
Finally, visit the STEM
d groups
an
(which are funded)
CPD opportunities
s access
plu
b),
clu
erest (e.g. STEM
relating to areas of int
rs.
to STEM ambassado
FUTURE TALENT // 45