St John’s School—a specialist Engineering College

St John’s Engineering Update

There is some element of engineering in virtually everything we use from the clothes we wear and the food we eat to the transport we use; from the micro components in modern electronics devices to the structures in the largest civil engineering projects.

Engineering is ...

Issue 2, December 2006

RE and Engineering — ’Religious symbols and icons’

On 22^nd and 23^rd November 2006 six year 9 students took part in the Religious symbols and Icons project run by Philip Melling, our Artist in Residence. The aim was for students to explore a diverse range of the world’s religious symbols, and use their findings to produce an artwork.

 

By choosing imagery from research, students were then able to design their symbols. They were encouraged to use more than one element for the finished work.

Models were then made from card, art-straws, wire etc. to represent the actual size of the artwork.

 

During the second day students began working with steel to produce their actual artworks using welding and drilling techniques.

 

The artwork is going to displayed around the school in the very near future.

Specialist Schools Trust website (http://www.schoolsnetwork.org.uk)

 

 

Joe Vickery, yr 9 working on his

 religious design

Three more departments have been granted with funds for supporting Engineering in their subject areas:

· Science (hardware to be used with the Science software)

· ICT (a combination of software and hardware to support delivery of Control unit)

· Design & Technology (equipment to be used in electronic engineering)

‘Engineering across curriculum’ - Engineering Development Fund

Next project with an Artist in Residence

Ms Turner is currently working with Philip Melling and Mr Lonnen on a project that will link English and Engineering. The aim of the project ‘Story in Silhouette’ is for students to take characters/scenes from a story they are studying and to produce metal ‘silhouettes’, which can be displayed in the school grounds.

 

Details of the project will follow in the next issue of St John’s Engineering Update.

Inspirational Engineering Courses

 

12 of our year 9 and 10 students are going to attend the inspirational engineering courses run by the Smallpeice Trust.

 

Seven year 10 boys have opted for the Materials Technology Experience at Cambridge University (2—5 January 2007), one year 10 student has chosen the Marine Technology Experience at University of Strathclyde (2—5 January 2007) and four year 9 students (including two girls)  will develop their engineering skills at Harper Adams University in Shropshire during the Engineering Experience residential (2—5 April 2007).