Year 9 STEM Day 2025

On Tuesday 1st July we held our annual RMS STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) Enrichment Day with the whole of Year 9.

The students came off their normal timetable and instead took part in sessions provided by some local businesses and colleges. There was a huge variety of  practical and engaging activities. The companies and colleges also provided a wealth of local market and business information and we saw a great range of teaching and learning models. Many of the sessions used small groups and had a competitive element between the groups which kept the Year 9s entertained and focused on one of the hottest days of the year.

This year we had activities as diverse as:

• Building and testing parachutes accuracy and time in the air
• Testing the strength of wax composites
• Constructing  a rollercoaster to measure the time a ball would roll for
• Building catapults to fire small balls at a target
• Building Eco homes
• Firing rockets under air pressure to test distance

Local companies gave us their time to come in and provide these sessions for students. The initial feedback from students was incredibly positive and we are grateful to the following:

• Fluor Engineering
• Amentum
• RAF and MOD
• BMW
• Alton College
• QMC
• Yateley Sixth Form

The students were absolutely amazing and some of the ideas, designs and constructions were first class. Initial feedback has been excellent. The volunteers that came into RMS all commented on how engaged the students were and some commented on how competitive our students are…! 

There are numerous exciting, interesting and well paid jobs within STEM including many local Apprenticeship opportunities so hopefully we have sparked enthusiasm with some students to look into this for a potential career. Girls are still underrepresented in a lot of STEM sectors and businesses look favourably on girls seeking STEM roles.

If you work for a STEM company and would like to be involved in the STEM Day or other activities we provide, please contact me via email (aidan.peake@rmays.com).

Mr Aidan Peake
Post-16 Pathways Leader