Five students from Year 8 at City Academy were lucky enough to be invited to Airbus to look around the Institute of Engineering and Technology (IET) which held an Engineering Open House Week (EOHW) as part of its ‘Engineer a Better World’ campaign.

The campaign aims to encourage students to discover how exciting the world of STEM (science, technology, engineering and maths) can be, and learn about the huge variety of creative and stimulating careers in modern engineering.

The day consisted of activities and site tours. Students were able to see first-hand how engineering and technology is applied in a range of STEM roles and jobs.

It was also a great opportunity to ask Airbus employees what life is like for those who work in the aerospace industry and explore potential pathways towards a STEM career.

Rachel Martin, Careers and Aspirations Coordinator said: “It was a fantastic opportunity for our students to gain an insight into how aeroplane parts are tested and manufactured, and the intricate testing process each part goes through to ensure the safety of their customers.

“We had a fun time creating our own aeroplane cabin outlay for our customers.”

ENDS

Hundreds of Weston families joined a showcase of all that is great about their town at a unique festival held as part of Broadoak Academy’s centenary celebrations.

The school teamed up with a host of community groups and partner organisations for its Festival of Culture, a one-day celebration of the town’s talent and diversity.

The event ran from 11am-3pm at the Windwhistle Road campus on Saturday, and offered a wide range of displays, talks and hands-on activities for visitorn to try.

That included sports tasters with Weston Rugby Club and Uphill Juniors Football Club, while Cornish Gig Rowers who added a maritime flavour to festivities.

More artistic visitors were able to try some hands-on craft activities courtesy of Weston Artspace and an Afghan kite-making workshop.

Youngsters were able to engage with a team from Avon and Somerset Constabulary, while there was also a wide range of groups focused on promoting equality and diversity – values at the core of the Broadoak ethos, and supported by its parent trust the Cabot Learning Federation.

Those groups included North Somerset LSBTQ+ Forum, the Race Equality Network, the Multi-Cultural Friendship Society, Weston Polish Association, the Muslim/Mosque & Bangladeshi Community, the Hindu/South Asian Community Group and SARI.

Visitors – which included Weston Mayor Ciaran Cronnelly – were also able to enjoy music and dance performances, a wide range of international cuisine and even inflatables for youngsters.

It was a day of fun and excitement which celebrate all that is special about Weston – as well as Broadoak’s place within it over the past 100 years.

Danny McGilloway, Principal at Broadoak Academy, said: “The day was a huge success. It was heart-warming to see how the community came together to celebrate and enjoy the rich diversity Weston-super-Mare has to offer.

“It has only served to strengthen my pride in this town and the people who live here. Our community shares a wonderful spirit of cultural richness and love for each other, and our Festival of Culture proved that.”

A recent Active Lives survey showed that fun and enjoyment is the main motivator for children and young people to get involved in sport and stay involved with sporting activity.

ITV West Country News went along to Summerhill Academy to find out more.

More than one hundred budding maths champions from Years 7 and 8 at Hanham Woods Academy have earned a series of medals in the national Junior Maths Challenge.

Hanham Woods’ 125 students enjoyed a won 9 golds, 24 silvers and 35 bronzes. Top performer in Year 7 was Hayden Champion and top performer in Year 8 was Harrison Price.

Josh Hocking, Head of Maths at Hanham Woods, had the tough task of selecting students for the one-hour maths challenge in the academy’s main hall.

The Junior Mathematical Challenge is a 60-minute, multiple-choice challenge. It encourages mathematical reasoning, precision of thought, and fluency in using basic mathematical techniques to solve interesting problems. The problems on the Junior Mathematical Challenge are designed to make students think. Most are accessible, yet can still challenge those with more experience.

The UK Mathematics Trust was founded in 1996 and its charitable aim is to advance the education of young people in the subject.

The charity does this by working with hundreds of volunteers across the UK to organise competitions which promote problem-solving and teamwork and other mathematical enrichment activities.

Josh said: “The challenge is an excellent enrichment opportunity to stretch our mathematicians beyond their day-to-day curriculum. The Maths Team and I are absolutely delighted to see our students achieve the best results in the school’s history for the second year in a row.”

Picture caption: Left to right: Hannah Ling, Year 9, Kamilah Yakubu, Year 10, and Angel Whyte, Year 10.

Bristol Metropolitan Academy’s growing national basketball profile has resulted in not just one of its students being called up to the England basketball team, but three!

Hannah Ling, who is in Year 9, Kamilah Yakubu, who is in Year 10, and Angel Whyte, also in Year 10, have all been selected to play for England.

This comes just a month after Bristol Metropolitan’s under 16s team earned a runners-up spot at the national schools competition.

Hannah, Kamilah and Angel started playing in Year 7 aged 11, and each has since gone on to compete outside of schools competition. Hannah now plays for Bristol Met Mambas; Kamilah plays for Bristol Flyers and Angel also plays for Bristol Flyers.

The girls were spotted and made the England squad after taking part in national trials. They then joined a training session with the England team in Manchester.

Since that training session, Hannah has played for the under 14 squad at a tri nations tournament held in Dundee and the squad won the competition. Kamilah played in Spain for the England under 15 team and Angel has played in Serbia, again for the under 15s.

Hannah Wallace, PE teacher at Bristol Metropolitan Academy, said: “All three girls are a great talent and deserve the recognition by Basketball England.

“As a school we are so proud of their achievement and will continue to support them to reach their potential. I hope they can inspire a future generation of female athletes to get involved with the sport and explore where it can take them. Well done girls!”