Lynn students on track for glory

It was full speed ahead when budding engineers gathered to design and race their own creations.

The entire Year 7 cohort at Springwood High School in King’s Lynn rose to the challenge of ‘Race to the Line’, a special Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) event, which was taking place for the second year running, thanks to the support of sponsors.

“The event was made possible by the generous sponsorship of local businesses that work with the Learning Partnership to fund all the resources needed to give students a hands-on design and engineering opportunity,” explained Victoria Mann, STEM Lead at Springwood, which is part of the West Norfolk Academies Trust.

“This year we were delighted to work with both Dodman Ltd, food processing equipment manufacturers, and Calvert Brain & Fraulo Ltd, consulting structural and civil engineers, to make this event happen.”

The day saw the students work together to design their own racing cars, which featured Styrofoam bodies and 3D-printed wheels, and were propelled by  carbon-dioxide canisters to race one another at speed along parallel, fixed wire tracks. 

“Each car was produced by a team of no more than four students, giving real hand-on opportunities,” continued Mrs Mann. “Races were grouped to allow cars to compete as part of their school houses, adding to the competition element of the day.

“We were able to build time into our curriculum to have all 280 of our Year 7 cohort take part in sessions centred around design and building of their CO2-powered cars, and racing them against one another.

“Thankfully, the weather was with us, and racing cars along 30m wire tracks could take place in the sunshine on one of our playgrounds.”

The activities were co-ordinated by Springwood Science Teacher Isabel Colley, with the support of the school’s Technology Department and other members of staff, along with Nathan Pack from Dodman, who was on hand to pick the winning finalists to participate in a Trust-wide Race to the Line competition.

“Our Year 7 students had an incredible time taking part in the Race to the Line challenge, where they designed and raced their very own home-made cars,” said Head of Year Emily Bunting. “The atmosphere was filled with excitement and healthy competition, as pupils put their creativity, teamwork, and engineering skills to the test.

“With perfect racing conditions, and plenty of cheering from classmates, the event was a huge success. We are especially grateful to Dodman Ltd and Calvert Brain & Fraulo Ltd for their generous support in making this experience possible for our students.”

“The highlight of the day was seeing all our Year 7s counting down to the launch of the racers, and cheering on their design in the hopes it would be the fastest in their race,” added Mrs Mann.

“Events like this are critical for expanding students’ skills and the opportunities beyond the curriculum. We have a fantastic STEM programme at Springwood that allows students to explore a wide range of opportunities linked to Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics, hopefully inspiring them to explore interests that they might not have initially gravitated to, and careers that they might not even have thought about.

“By engaging in events that involve whole cohorts of students, all are able to develop problem solving, teamwork, and critical thinking, helping our students find success inside and outside the classroom.”