Primary "mathletes" enjoy STEM day
A group of budding mathematicians, scientists and engineers took part in a maths and coding event at Nova Hreod Academy last weekend. The event was the first of three taster days for pupils starting secondary school in September 2023, as an introduction to the Catalyst STEM Stream.
Catalyst is a new opportunity within Swindon where students will focus their studies on the STEM subjects of science, technology, engineering and maths. The first Year 7 Catalyst scholars are joining Nova Hreod Academy next term and will benefit from a STEM based timetable and extra-curricular opportunities as part of the Academy's SuperNova programme.
The taster day started with a team challenge where pupils solved a series of mathematical problems, demonstrating their ability to think outside the box and work in a team. Their coding skills were also put to the test, as they developed a code to programme a micro robot to navigate their way across a map of Swindon to the Orbital Shopping Centre.
The taster days are a fun way for Year 5 pupils to find out more about what the Catalyst STEM Stream is all about and learn together from a range of STEM based challenges. We saw some real mathematical talent this weekend and were very impressed with their understanding of the subjects. All the pupils were enthusiastic about the tasks, which became progressively more challenging as the day went on, which is a promising sign for the future of STEM industries in Swindon.
Nick Wells, Headteacher
For more information about the Catalyst STEM Stream and to register for future taster sessions, visit Nova Hreod Academy > Catalyst Stream
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