With each unit of work in the Junior School, milepost teams map out how they can provide opportunities for pupils to learn and benefit from experts within the campus from the Junior school through to the Senior School. Every Senior School subject is linked to the Junior School curriculum, ranging from art to science, covering a range of topics and year groups. In this case, we identified a design and technology project. We planned for pupils to work in the Senior School design and technology workshops under the expert guidance of Mr Wood.  

The activities pupils undertook involved sketching a range of ideas for a key ring, choosing a final design and creating this using CAD (computer-aided design) software. They then used the CAD software to send instructions CAM (Computer-aided Manufacture) system to produce the product. The final step was to add depth and colour, to sell the key rings to raise money for animal welfare charities.   

Mrs Prendi, Milepost 2 lead, commented: "MP2 is fortunate to have an excellent working relationship with the Senior School. This allows our young pupils to access high-quality equipment and specialist resources that are not normally available to Junior School pupils. They also experience a taste of what they can expect when they graduate to Year 7. Mr Wood, Head of DT, was impressed by the enthusiasm, ingenuity and creativity of the year 3 and 4 pupils – and the children themselves were delighted with their finished products!"

The benefits of such activities cover a wide range of areas, including:

Mr Wood was thrilled to have the pupils attend the sessions in his workshop and commented: "My lasting impressions, after several hours spent with the year 3 and 4 pupils, was a sense that they arrived with eager anticipation, listened with genuine curiosity and were filled with awe and wonder at what the laser was able to do so quickly and accurately. It was a real privilege to give them a small taste of Senior School design and technology."

Education should be about awe and wonder, and the development of the natural curiosity that children have. When pupils are eager to know more, try new experiences, are excited about what needs to happen next and are not afraid to make mistakes, they will benefit and develop academically. Their confidence and interpersonal skills will grow, and they will have a firm foundation to be successful in anything they do. Such challenging, rich experiences promote the skills and attributes that we aim for all of our pupils. This happens as a result of regular close collaboration between teachers from different parts of the school. Pupils then can take these transferable skills and apply them within and beyond their academic studies.