This term has seen the addition of a number of exciting new initiatives as part of our Senior School Engineering Programme. Engineering covers a wide range of disciplines, from rockets to mobile phones, green power generation to transport solutions. Engineering is about understanding how, and why things work. Engineers use models provided by science combined with innovative thinking to solve problems, are involved in all aspects of designing, building and testing new technologies and products. Creativity and problem solving are at the heart of every engineering industry and we aim to give the NHEHS students a chance at that from their first day in school.

We are thrilled to be introducing F1 in Schools which will run from March to July for Year 8 as a series of mini projects. Students will deploy CAD/CAM software to collaborate, design, analyse, manufacture, test, and then race miniature compressed air powered cars made from F1 model block. The challenge inspires students to use IT to learn about physics, aerodynamics, design, manufacture, branding, graphics, sponsorship, marketing, leadership/teamwork, media skills and financial strategy, and apply them in a practical, imaginative, competitive and exciting way. 

Another new project is the SmallPeice Trust Glider Project for Year 9. Work started in October and will continue through until March. Students are challenged to design and build a Powered Glider. This student-led project purposely has limited guidance, ensuring that teams of students are each challenged to design, build and respond to testing their electrically powered glider before refining and improving it to eventually travel the furthest over two flights made within 10 minutes of each other. 

October also saw the launch of this year’s Industrial Cadets Programme: Year 12 and 13 students met with their mentors and organised their first session working on their solution to the Hammersmith Bridge Project alongside the engineering firm, Arcadis. The school engineers meet with working engineers at Arcadis every week, talking through their solutions and being challenged on the next step of their problem. Industrial Cadets work with UK employers to create a talent pipeline and a future skilled workforce, whilst helping young people to develop the skills they need to enter industry with confidence. Previous school teams have had their work integrated into the Elizabeth Line and won awards for their work on HS2. 

In November we had the heats of the UK Space Design Competition, which saw Year 13 Karina Y working with Year 7 and 8s on their Mercurian Habit construction project. The UK Space Design Competition is a multidisciplinary space-themed competition designed to be a simulation of life in industry. Students from multiple schools are combined to form an engineering company and take on the task of designing a crewed space settlement within our solar system. Set between 40 and 80 years in the future, students are able to lose themselves in the elaborate and expansive SDC universe and they form one of our fictional engineering companies. 

Next term we will be hosting the Faraday Challenge for local schools as well as entering two teams of six students from Year 8 in the challenge itself. The Faraday Challenge Days give students the opportunity to research, design and make solutions to genuinely tough engineering problems and are run by a team of STEM professionals. Each IET Faraday Challenge Day involves six school teams, each made up of six Year 8 students who are interested in either Science, Design & Technology, Mathematics or Engineering. The Challenge is all about letting the students be creative and use their own problem solving skills to explore their capabilities as engineers, building a working model and pitching their ideas on the day, and can lead to a CREST Award.

Year 7 have already started working for the First Lego League, sponsored by Bechtel. 26 students are working in teams of 2-10 with weekly sessions run by two of our Sixth Formers Heather M and Rachel A. Students engage in research, problem-solving, coding, and engineering to build and program a LEGO robot that navigates the missions of a robot game.The teams will be competing in the first local round of the league in the New Year. 

Two of our Year 12s have been accepted on the Empowered Females in Stem Mentorship Programme, Gen P and Ansley V who are working with their newly assigned mentors at Amazon. The ‘six moth programme aims to educate, enable and empower young women and non-binary people to pursue a fulfilling STEM career. It is a National event sponsored by global STEM companies, including Pfizer; Facebook; Google; BP; Dyson; Salesforce; L’Oréal; Citrix; Colt; GE and UCB. They receive mentoring from leading women in STEM; attend masterclasses to boost employability skills; network online and in person with members of the STEM community; learn about the diverse career paths into STEM and become valued members and leaders of the STEM community. They will also carry out a Dyson Project Based Learning challenge, providing them with an opportunity to solve a real-world STEM problem.

We also encourage engineering students to apply for  The Arkwright Scholarship – a programme which helps students pursue their dreams and change the world as future leaders in engineering. This year Heather M was awarded the scholarship following the successes of Charlotte P and Abha B in 2021.

From January we are opening up the opportunity for students to tour the new-build Junior School as it starts construction, with the chance to revisit the site as progress is made over the year. A workshop for students with the architects and engineers will take place in January to give NHEHS pupils an idea of how designs move into reality, with student ideas able to be put into action in the building.

This is our first year of consolidating our programmes under the NHEHS Engineering umbrella, and we have our eyes on plenty of opportunities in the future, including a long-term green electricity programme and a nationwide electric car competition. Engineering is an incredible pathway where students can make a real difference to the world and we are proud to be able to help NHEHS students find their path towards it.