Students win £10,000 Rolls Royce school prize for Science and technology

PARKSIDE School at Cullingworth is celebrating after winning a coveted accolade.

The secondary school, in Parkside Terrace, has been awarded the Rolls-Royce Schools Prize for Science and Technology 2019-2021.

Jubilant team leaders said the £10,000 prize would "contribute towards the delivery and running of new and emerging technology lessons for years to come".

The school's Skills for the Future initiative began in 2019.

Parkside was one of just 30 schools nationally to receive £1,000 'special merit' prizes, which enabled it to be begin experimenting with 3D printing teaching and learning.

Then six schools, including Parkside, were chosen to compete for the ultimate £10,000 award.

Lorna Windle, Parkside's project leader, said: "Originally the project was to last nine months, but due to the pandemic it ended-up continuing considerably longer and needed to be much more flexible and adaptable.

"Our initial aim was to set-up an extra-curricular club for students interested in 3D printing. There was huge interest, with over 70 pupils wanting to get involved! Logistically this was hard to manage, so a decision was made to embed the skills and technology into the Key Stage 3 curriculum to ensure as many students as possible could learn about it.

"So over the course of the project, not only did we run a fantastic and engaging 3D printing club, but we also successfully embedded 3D printing into the year seven and nine curriculums – as well as being able to use it throughout teaching at GCSE and A-level to allow students to better their practical outcomes.

"The project survived lockdown by being able to go fully remote."

It's planned to expand the 3D printing access to more students across the school and build links with primary schools.

"The project is having a huge impact – not only in the classroom but for the students' futures," said Lorna.

"The digital skills gap grows year on year, and the only way to arm our young people to be prepared for the future is to adapt our teaching and learning as quickly and flexibly as technology changes.

"As a result of the exciting and developing curriculum changes, we have seen an increased uptake in both design and technology and engineering GCSE options.

"The project will only go from strength to strength, with teaching staff feeling empowered to deliver on new and exciting content and students who have developed a new resilience and desire to improve."