Children from Finmere, Helmdon, Buckingham Primary School joined Beachborough pupils for the Creative Technologists’ Innovation (CTI) Programme, which returned to Beachborough after a two-year absence due to Covid.
Working with the other schools, key speakers, activity providers and its own teachers, Beachborough laid on an inspirational event for a total of 110 Year 6 children.
Pupils were split into teams to take part in a carousel of engaging and informative sessions, all centred around the this year’s theme of Pedal Power, Bike Engineering and Innovation.
The day started with an assembly from Beachborough headmaster Christian Pritchard, who said: “Your future is very exciting - the opportunities available to you are going to be new and challenging and the skills you need will be diverse and wide ranging.
"You will work in a variety of careers that either haven’t been invented yet or are currently in their infancy.
"The development of climate-neutral transport options, such as futuristic bike riding, is just one example.
“Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics (STEAM), and the knowledge and skills that you learn in these areas, are extremely important to us here at Beachborough and I am delighted to be able to share a day full of innovative technology.”
Mike Mullen from BMX Academy, Robert White from White Motorcycle Concepts, Peter Hodgkinson from Mercedes AMG Petronas F1, Blend N Bike and Beachborough’s own Computing, Technology, Science and Maths teachers delivered lessons in friction, gear ratios, electric transportation, BMX riding, pedal-powered smoothie making using pedal power, while the school catering team kept the children fed and hydrated throughout the day.
The final assembly of the day was based on risk and opportunity, highlighting the recent successes of UK BMX gold medallist Charlotte Worthington and her journey to the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
As the children departed to return to their schools, they were presented with certificates of participation and a goody bag containing bike merchandise, as well as taking home their own pedal powered wooden toy which they had designed and created in the TED (Technology, Engineering and Design) Suite as part of the day’s activities.
A school spokesman said: “Beachborough School was absolutely delighted to be able to host this event and to offer this exciting and educational day to both our own and our local children, and hopes the event has enriched the curriculum and will be memorable to the attendees in years to come.
"We have already set to work devising a plan for next year’s event.”
2. Beachborough School CTI event
A student tries out a prototype electric police motorbike Photo: Derek Pelling
3. Beachborough School CTI event
Student taking part in a TED workshop to create a little pedalling creature Photo: Derek Pelling
4. Beachborough School CTI event
Mike Mullen of the BMX Academy teaches tricks Photo: Derek Pelling