Oasis Academy Arena enjoyed a day with a difference last Wednesday the 24th March, our very
first virtual drop down STEM (science, technology, engineering and Maths) day for Key Stage 3.
Year 7 had an activity-packed day hosted by the Royal Navy. They got a chance to meet with and
speak to serving officers who use a variety of STEM skills in their careers.
They met a Royal Marine who outlined the uses of STEM skills in survival and humanitarian aid
situations. He even showed Year 7 how to make their own compass from a leaf and a metal
needle.
Year 7 also met a helicopter engineer and she discussed her career journey and then showed
them how to make their own model helicopters.
Year 8 and 9 spent the day focussing on engineering and the future of STEM careers. They met
with Sophie Wilmott, a representative from Mott Macdonald (an international engineering
consultancy whose current projects range from wind farms to flood defences to the HS2 railway
network). She shared with them the wide range of careers available in STEM and the routes one
might take to move into an engineering career.
Students had a chance to develop their own engineering skills while undertaking the hula-hoop
building challenge set for them by Sophie. We had some pretty amazing structures from nothing
more than hula hoops, marmite and lots of excellent engineering skills!
Years 8 and 9 then met with Ms Cheng from Brunel University to hear about the benefits of
choosing higher education and the different routes available from traditional degrees to degree
apprenticeships.
All in all, a great day that got our students thinking and talking about engineering, potential careers and their futures.
We are now looking forward to our careers week that will take place during the week of the 5th of July.