STEM day to inspire future engineers

Pupils attending the UTC Swindon Year 5 STEM day will be divided into five groups. Each group will complete three fun yet relevant STEM activities from a list that includes:

• making luminous goo using the principles of chemical engineering
• designing and coding a computer game featuring the ultimate shark attack using scratch software
• designing a rocket to send high into the sky
• designing a laser cut key ring using specialist design software

As she prepared to welcome year 5 pupils, parents and representatives of schools across the area to the event, Angela Barker-Dench, Principal at UTC Swindon, said: “Future careers and life ambitions are important at any age. So, to have this opportunity to inspire our future engineers in year 5 is tremendously exciting for us. With our track record, our facilities and the career opportunities open to people who study here, there are compelling reasons to study at UTC Swindon at key stages 4 and 5. And there’s still time to apply for a place in 2016-17.”

UTC Swindon supports local primary schools in delivering their STEM curriculum with first class facilities and expert staff.

The college caters for 600 students aged 14-19, providing courses for young people who aspire to a career in engineering, computing and business. Students at the UTC Swindon gain skills demanded in all sectors of the engineering and computing industries.

As part of the original Great Western Rail works, the UTC Swindon site creates a link between the engineering history and the engineering and computing future of the local area, with the Old School Building and the iconic Water Tower featuring prominently. Both structures, which are Grade II listed, were treated sympathetically, with the Water Tower being restored and brought back into educational use.

UTC Swindon is run by a trust sponsored by Johnson Matthey Fuel Cells and Oxford Brookes University.