To create a Museum of Innovation, showcasing how inventions have changed the world. 

Project Update - Friday 2nd April

The Puffins have made an excellent start to our new project, which focuses on inventions and innovations throughout history.

To launch the project, we created project proposals, identifying what we already know about inventors and inventions, why it is important to study the past, and the questions we are eager to explore. We also suggested possible trips and visitors who could help enrich our learning experience.

Following this, we engaged in discussions about what defines an invention and considered how new ideas and discoveries have the power to transform societies. We explored the qualities that successful inventors often possess, such as creativity, perseverance, teamwork and resilience.

To reflect on our own potential as inventors, we designed posters featuring ourselves at the centre, surrounded by the personal characteristics we believe will help us on our journey of innovation and enquiry.

We are looking forward to developing our historical enquiry skills, deepening our understanding of important inventions across time, and considering how we too might become the innovators of the future.

Project Update - Friday 16th May

Since our last update, we have continued to explore the theme of innovation and how human creativity and curiosity have shaped the world we live in today.

We began by investigating the development of the wheel, tracing its origins back to around 3500 BC in Mesopotamia, where it was first used as a pottery wheel. We examined how this simple invention evolved over time and considered the wide variety of ways wheels are used in modern society, from transport to machinery.

Drawing inspiration from the artist Alexander Calder, widely known for inventing the mobile as an art form, we designed and created our own moving sculptures. These artworks featured significant inventions throughout history, combining artistic expression with mechanical motion.

We also learned about Alexander Graham Bell and the invention of the telephone. We discovered how his personal experiences—particularly his mother’s deafness—inspired his interest in sound and communication. We discussed the qualities Bell demonstrated, especially his perseverance, curiosity, and problem-solving skills, as he worked tirelessly to develop technologies that improved human connection. To deepen our understanding of how sound travels, we made and tested our own string telephones, observing how vibrations carry sound from one end to another.

In science, we compared medicine in Victorian England with modern medical practices, focusing on how discoveries like antibiotics have transformed healthcare. This inspired us to become inventors ourselves, imagining future medical innovations. Ideas included:

• A smart pill that scans your blood and sends a report to an app, advising whether you need to see a doctor or purchase medicine.

• A wearable strap for animals that communicates symptoms to vets to help diagnose illness quickly.

We’ve been challenged to think critically, solve problems creatively, and consider how the past continues to shape the future.

Project Update - Friday 13th June

Since our last update, we have continued to explore inventions and how they have changed the world. Through a series of engaging, cross-curricular lessons, the Puffins have investigated how human curiosity, creativity and problem-solving have driven innovation throughout history.

The Invention of Film

We travelled back to the origins of cinema, learning how inventors transformed still photography into moving pictures—an innovation that revolutionised entertainment, communication and education.

We studied the contributions of key pioneers:
• Louis Le Prince, who created the first moving picture camera (1888)
• Thomas Edison, inventor of the Kinetoscope (1891)
• The Lumière Brothers, who held the first public film screening (1895)

To bring this history to life, we constructed phenakistoscopes—spinning animation devices that demonstrate how our eyes perceive motion through a rapid sequence of images. We reflected on the transformative power of film to tell stories, connect cultures and inspire new ways of seeing the world.

Gunpowder: Help or Harm?

We investigated the invention of gunpowder, first developed in 9th-century China, and how its use evolved over time - from fireworks to military applications, exploration, construction and beyond.

To deepen our understanding, students took part in a structured class debate addressing the question: Has gunpowder helped or harmed society?

Arguments in favour included:
• Supporting exploration and navigation
• Enabling advances in construction and mining
• Cultural value through fireworks and signalling
• Demonstrating the power of scientific discovery

Arguments against included:
• Escalating the destructiveness of warfare
• Causing long-term environmental harm
• Creating global inequalities through military dominance
• Contributing to large-scale conflict and devastation

Through this debate, students were encouraged to think critically and "like historians", weighing multiple perspectives and considering how inventions can have both positive and negative consequences depending on their use.

Catapults: Ancient Engineering in Action

We explored the catapult - a remarkable feat of ancient engineering, developed around 400 BCE in Ancient Greece and later adapted by Roman and medieval armies. Originally designed as a tool for siege warfare, the catapult has influenced modern mechanical systems from slingshots to aircraft carrier launch mechanisms.

After learning about the historical development and scientific principles behind catapults, we constructed working models using everyday materials. We tested our designs for distance and accuracy and evaluated the effectiveness of different mechanical features.

Throughout this project, pupils have developed their ability to analyse, reflect and problem-solve - skills that are vital in understanding both the past and the possibilities of the future.

Technology Through Time: A Special Visitor

Last week, we were thrilled to welcome a special visitor, Dave (Chris’ dad), who shared his experience and expertise in computers, technology and programming. His engaging talk took us on a fascinating journey through the history of computing, from the early ideas of Charles Babbage and Ada Lovelace (considered the first computer programmer) to the powerful devices we use today.

We learned that programming involves giving a computer a set of instructions to solve a problem, and that technology has advanced incredibly quickly over the past century. One surprising fact was that the smartphones we use today are far more powerful than the computers that once sent astronauts into space! Dave also showed us how technology can be used to help us in our daily lives, from solving complex problems to enabling new ways of communication and creativity. A highlight of the session was getting to try out virtual reality (VR).

Open Morning: Exploring Shapes Through Invention

We were thrilled to welcome parents to join us for a special Open Morning focused on shape and space, inspired by the theme “Inventions Through Time.”

Pupils took part in a hands-on project lesson where they constructed 3D models of historical inventions using a variety of craft materials. Throughout the activity, they identified and labelled 2D and 3D shapes, explored lines of symmetry and highlighted parallel and perpendicular lines within their models.

From telephone boxes and rockets to lightbulbs and steam trains, our young inventors used vocabulary such as faces, edges, vertices, prism, pyramid and net to describe their work with precision and confidence.

A big thank you to all the parents who joined us for the session. Your support made the morning extra special, and the children were so proud to share their learning with you!

Final Project Update - Friday 4th July

Thank you for visiting our Museum of Innovation!
We are incredibly grateful to all the friends and family who joined us to celebrate the Puffins’ journey through the history of human creativity and ingenuity. 

Over the course of this project, the children have delved into essential questions such as: What are inventions and how do they impact society? Who were—and are—the great inventors? How can a single invention change the course of history? Through research, hands-on investigations, debate and artistic expression, they explored innovations from the wheel to the telephone, from gunpowder to virtual reality. Along the way, they developed skills in historical inquiry, scientific thinking, model-making and communication, culminating in this special exhibition to share their learning with you.

Whether building catapults, constructing phenakistoscopes, debating the ethics of gunpowder, or imagining future medical breakthroughs, our young historians and inventors have shown incredible curiosity, creativity and critical thinking. 

We hope you enjoyed exploring their work as much as they enjoyed creating it—and that this project inspires the next generation of change-makers to dream boldly, think deeply and invent a better future.