Innovation workshops

Our innovation department is working with the University of Surrey to deliver a programme of innovation and entrepreneurship to local primary schools.

Aims

To develop a primary/KS3 workshop for schools on innovation and entrepreneurship. If successful this can be rolled out across the country and develop critical thinking and entrepreneurial/creative skills in students.

Background

We contacted Surrey University about our innovation programme looking for ideas as they have a department devoted to this and they responded. It has been running for around 3 months now.

Resources

It uses our innovation centre and uses teaching staff. A workshop typically uses 2 of our teaching staff and one of our non-teaching staff members for support. Each workshop typically runs for 2 hours and we have run around 4 so far this term. There is no financial contribution required from primary schools attending. The school provides refreshments as well at no cost.

Impact

The anticipated outcomes are that innovation becomes embedded into curricula across the country from KS2 upwards.

Pupil Involvement

Our pupils are currently not involved in this but we aim to develop this to incorporate it as a ten week programme in the school year for KS3 students who can then assist in delivery to primary students as part of our partnership. Pupils are from both genders. The other participants are from local primary schools and are also of both genders.

Frequency

This is a series of single events for local primary schools. At present we are running them on a roughly monthly basis and we aim for this to continue for at least the next 2 years as the programme develops.