Faraday Challenge Day

This day involves a team engineering challenge involving, designing and making a prototype lighthouse keeper transfer system, and presenting the device to the other groups at the end of the day. Each team works together to plan their initial ideas, develop their final idea, and then make, test and improve what they have designed. 

Aims

The aims of this programme are to work with teams from different primary schools to stretch and challenge them in an engineering context, inspiring curiosity and interest in a subject to which they would not usually have time allocated in their curriculum. 

To help the pupils improve skills in problem solving and teamwork and apply their knowledge from the science forces topic in a different context. 

To give pupils opportunity to work with pupils from other schools and develop their confidence when presenting to others. 

Background

In 2018, Wimbledon High were invited to be part of the IET Faraday Challenge Day for senior schools. There is a similar scheme for primary schools, but instead of being organised nationally and led by a Faraday Challenge Leader, primary schools deliver the Faraday Day themselves. This is hard for a primary school to do alone as lots of equipment is required. Hence the idea evolved of putting together a day that local schools could take part in. The day happened in 2019 and 2020 at Wimbledon High utilising our equipment. In 2021, due to lockdown, each of the 10 schools involved ran the day at their own school using the equipment and resources we provided in the Faraday Day Challenge kits sent to each school. 

Resources

In 2019 and 2020, we used our own resources and teaching staff to deliver the day. In 2021 we needed to send equipment boxes out to 10 different schools and the Ogden Trust generously funded the project. This means that all 10 schools now have the resources to run the day whenever they choose. 

Impact

Resources for all of Year 5 to pracise engineering and DT skills in a different context. Resources give teachers confidence to deliver the day which develops teamwork and problem solving skills. 

Opportunity for staff and pupils to have fun being immersed in a challenge for the whole day. 

The impact on Wimbledon High staff and students is having the opportunity to work with other pupils (including boys). The opportunity to practise a range of skills in a different context, to have fun and explore engineering for a whole day, and for staff to have the opportunity to take part in the planning and delivery of the day and see their pupils in a different situation. 

Pupil Involvement

30 Year 5 pupils will be involved from the different schools, in a mixed gender group. 

Frequency

The project takes place for one day each year.