STEM - Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths
After a successful year of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) activities and an engaging curriculum, we have set out goals for phase 2 of our development of STEM in the community to be rolled out this year.
The global population will rely on a generation of young people that can solve problems in a creative way. Handling issues such as energy usage, population needs, engineering, design and making technological advancements. At the end of 2018 it is predicted that 2.4 million STEM jobs will go unfilled. These jobs are exciting, fulfilling and well paid. Companies like Amazon, Google, Apple and Facebook have STEM at their core.
Over the past academic year we have raised STEM awareness, including project based lessons within the core curriculum that focus on critical thinking skills. This real world application of skills, enables students to think for themselves how to approach tasks and learn lifelong skills. In addition to curriculum changes a number of drop down days and events have been organised. Students have designed and raced rocket cars with the support of world record breakers, worked with local engineering firm GKN to implement robots, competed with the Isle of Wight school community to create wind turbine blades for Vestas and been visited by TESLA to learn about using renewable energy to its fullest potential.
This academic year we will continue to offer these amazing opportunities and further develop them as part of our STEM journey. Improvements to the usage of the STEM Inspiration Room, more family and community learning events and focused projects within STEM Clubs.
We look forward to another exciting year of STEM!
STEM at continues to prepare students to take ambitious steps into the future
27th September 2018
After a successful year of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) activities and an engaging curriculum, we have set out goals for phase 2 of our development of STEM in the community to be rolled out this year.
The global population will rely on a generation of young people that can solve problems in a creative way. Handling issues such as energy usage, population needs, engineering, design and making technological advancements. At the end of 2018 it is predicted that 2.4 million STEM jobs will go unfilled. These jobs are exciting, fulfilling and well paid. Companies like Amazon, Google, Apple and Facebook have STEM at their core.
Over the past academic year we have raised STEM awareness, including project based lessons within the core curriculum that focus on critical thinking skills. This real world application of skills, enables students to think for themselves how to approach tasks and learn lifelong skills.
In addition to curriculum changes a number of drop down days and events have been organised. Students have designed and raced rocket cars with the support of world record breakers, worked with local engineering firm GKN to implement robots, competed with the Isle of Wight school community to create wind turbine blades for Vestas and been visited by TESLA to learn about using renewable energy to its fullest potential.
This academic year we will continue to offer these amazing opportunities and further develop them as part of our STEM journey. Improvements to the usage of the STEM Inspiration Room, more family and community learning events and focused projects within STEM Clubs.
BAE Systems STEM Roadshow – Tuesday 5th June 2018
11th June 2018
There is a big focus, both nationally and at Ryde Academy, to get young people involved in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) and as part of this the BAE systems Roadshow, supported by the Royal Air Force and the Royal Navy visited students at the Academy on Tuesday 5th June 2018.
The roadshow team spent the morning with students from Year 7 and 8, as well as pupils from primary schools in Ryde, aiming to inspire students to engage with STEM
The focus of the show was numbers and how maths forms the basis of so many things in our day to day lives. They also showed students the fun side of maths and what can happen when you don’t get your calculations right!
The most popular aspect of the day was the Nao Robot which delighted students and staff alike with its ‘personality’ and Michael Jackson dance routine.
Lots of industries across the country say they are finding it difficult to recruit engineers and scientists and that there is a skills gap amongst younger generations.
As a result, we are doing our bit to support STEM based subjects and create excitement around them and the future careers they lead to. The whole curriculum includes aspects of STEM and there are lots of clubs and trips to help promote it to all students; STEM club, STEMettes (STEM club for girls) as well as trips to Land Rover Ben Ainslie Racing HQ, universities, and UKSA.
Richard Hamer, BAE Systems’ Education and Early Careers Director, says: “It is great to see more young people considering a degree or career in STEM and becoming more aware of the exciting opportunities available to them through these subjects. At BAE Systems, our engineers work in a variety of different roles, from designing submarines for the Royal Navy, to developing innovative virtual reality technology for leading athletes to improve performance or even working on wearable tech for the British Army and the latest fighter jets for the Royal Air Force. Initiatives like the Schools Roadshow are so important, especially as this is the Year of Engineering, to ensure we continue to excite young minds and inspire the next generation of scientists, technologists, engineers and mathematicians.”
Vestas Engineering Project
1st June 2018
Earlier this year we launched a new STEM Scheme working with Vestas and other secondary schools to promote the importance of engineering. As part of this students got a tour of the wind turbine facilities.
May was the mid-point of the scheme and students met in our STEM Inspiration Room to discuss their ideas, learn about rapid prototyping and practice presentation skills in front of each other.
Rapid prototyping is a group of techniques used to quickly fabricate a scale model of a physical part or assembly using three-dimensional computer aided design.
It was great to get everyone together and work out how they plan to move forward with their blade designs.
