We’re bringing the real world to the classroom (From Worcester News)

We’re bringing the real world to the classroom

9:11am Tuesday 19th May 2009

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ALL too often pupils can struggle to understand how the things they learn in school are relevant to the real world. But a special project at one Worcestershire high school is helping pupils apply the lessons they learn in the classroom to reallife business projects.

A group of talented pupils at Pershore High School have linked up with a local engineering firm to the benefit of everyone.

The project called STEMNET is being backed by the University of Worcester, which is offering guidance and advice to those taking part.

STEMNET links the lessons learned in science, technology, engineering and maths to real-life situations.

STEM ambassadors – local business people – take their skills and knowledge into schools to develop pupils’ learning and create their own working projects.

Pershore High School has developed a close link with local company Allen Gears, which makes giant industrial gear boxes.

The company has been able to create real-life projects to give to the small groups of students who are interested in the engineering trade, and then work alongside them to find and produce a solution.

In fact, the project has been so successful that it has now been scheduled into the school week.

Last year’s group even won a prestigious competition called the Big Bang – their innovative solution to the problem set by Allen Gears saw them take first prize and they went to a reception at Number 10 Downing Street to receive their prize as British Science Association National Youth Technologists of the Year.

STEM ambassador Luke Fowler, a mechanical engineer for Allen Gears, helped with last year’s project, which was to build an electronics-based system that would allow operators to test the accuracy of gear wheels.

The group – Matt Smith, Luke Fowler, Oli Sinfield and Stephen Maughan, all aged 18 – thrived under the challenge.

Mr Fowler said: “They appreciate that it’s an active problem and they can work on that. It’s great to have fresh minds look at a problem and they really do come up with some innovative ideas. By doing this they get a head start in life.

“They have come up with some great time and money-saving devices. It is great fun too for us.

They are ambitions projects but they have done really well.”

Stephen Maughan said: “To be able to do something like this was a chance to do something outside the curriculum that we were interested in.

We were given a problem that wasn’t just one that was made up.

We knew that what we were doing might just help the company and actually be used.”

The new group – Chris Young, Ben Carr, Stoyan Kostadinov and Dan Burr, all aged 16 and currently in year 12 at Prshore High School – are now working on a device which removes sharp edges from gear teeth in a semi-automated method.

They are being guided by STEM ambassador Darren Pepper, a production engineering manager at the company.

He said: “It’s taking on the practical side. It gives them an interest in the subject while they are still at school.

“The teams are guided by us about once a week to go through the progress of the project. The projects are something we come up with and give to them, and this then benefits us as well. They also get to come and see us in the factory to see how we work. It’s a whole new world to them. We are pleased to have been given the opportunity to work on these projects. They have done really well. Each team also takes on its own roles within the group, from project manager to designer and manufacturing.”

The group is given the brief in September before working on the project and giving a presentation on it.

From this, and the link with the University of Worcester, the pupils are given UCAS points, which help them get into their chosen university.

Chris Young said: “It gives us an indication of how an engineering business works. There are four of us in the team and when we heard about this opportunity we really jumped at it and we have got so much out of it.”

Neil Harding, head of technology at Pershore High School, said: “It’s a different way of learning. This is a unique project and it’s crosscurricular as these subjects can be linked. It makes them more interested in what they are learning because they can see how it can be used, utilised and applied.

They can now understand why they are taught something. They know they are being taught various techniques for a reason.

“Both teams have done so well. I can really say to my students now that through the project with Allen Gears they can be stood on the steps of Number 10. It’s about teaching with relevance.”

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