Third Year STEAM and Self Defence Day

The Third Years enjoyed a day of hands-on activities on the theme of bridges at the end of their second exam week.

This was part of our STEAM initiative (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Mathematics), which helps link pupils’ academic studies to their wider applications.

Pupils tested their imagination while creating some beautiful architectural models

They completed a series of challenges set by the Science, Art, Design and Technology and Maths Departments, designed to stretch their intellectual, creative and team working abilities and, on the same day, were given valuable instruction in self-defence. Pupils tested their imagination while creating some beautiful architectural models and their engineering and construction skills when building and testing their own bridges. Pupils also enjoyed exploring the maths behind networks of bridges and investigating resonance as a cause of bridge failure.

A final competitive element was provided by the challenge of creating a bridge that would hold itself together using only its own weight and the friction between the planks provided. The solution, often referred to as a DaVinci bridge, requires creativity and effective teamwork to implement it. The winning team from Rodney successfully built a bridge spanning an impressive 5.47m.