LAB STEAM

What is STEAM at LAB?

Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics are subjects that are interwoven into society and without them our understanding of the world around us become flat. As such, STEAM allows access to real world scenarios, opportunities and challenges: opening the eyes of our students to more than just our classroom walls. These subjects work in unison to allow for creativity to happen alongside deep learning, and also offer our students a glimpse into potential future careers.

STEAM learning is in its infancy at LAB, but there is still much to celebrate in regards to successes we have had. The Design and Technology department have finally been able to fully utilise our well equipped workshops. One resent, STEAM related lesson was all about completing a challenge to create the tallest tower made from small toothpicks. The challenge required students to consider structural integrity when making, as well as problem solving when designing. Our students enjoyed working in teams and used collaborative techniques to navigate the building challenge!

I am pleased to announce that we at LAB have been lucky enough to secure a spot on a course which is the first of its kind in England. As mentioned earlier in this article, working in a team requires problem solving and leadership to succeed. From January onwards, therefore we are able to offer our KS3 cohort the opportunity to gain a qualification for Leadership through the STEM leaders programme. LAB students can learn about leadership attributes and use their own knowledge of STEM activities to teach and inspire others. The Stem Leaders qualification will open from January for Y7-8 applicants. If you are a student at LAB who is interested in applying for a coveted position on the course then please contact me at anastasia.fairs@leighacademyblackhaeth.org.uk and I will be happy to explain more.

Also, from January, we will be offering some new co-curricular clubs open to all age groups. STEAM club and Fashion and Textiles club will offer hands-on experiences that our students have been asking for and will be supported by a range of subjects from the STEAM curriculum. Here are some of the items already created within a STEAM classroom environment that inspired our afterschool program.

Finally, STEAM links knowledge across subjects and ‘Keeps it Real’; therefore, careers and real life scenarios are really important to this aspect of our students' learning. At present we have effective methods of achieving this, such as using VR goggles in order to transport our students to another world. We are also fortunate enough to have STEM ambassador links where STEM workers from a range of industries come into the classroom and teach our students about how they apply STEM knowledge in a practical setting. However, we are always looking for more support and would love to hear from you if your career involves Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Mathematics in any way. Please send all inquiries for STEAM @ LAB to anastasia.fairs@leighacademyblackheath.org.uk