Last week, we were delighted to welcome personnel from the Royal Navy for an engaging day of workshops and activities with our Year 9 students.

Led by Panda Gunner and Chef Charlery, the Royal Navy team delivered a dynamic programme that included memory challenges, mechanical problem-solving, and teamwork tasks.

The day began with a high-energy assembly, during which students learned more about roles within the Royal Navy and how core values like leadership, commitment, and resilience translate into everyday success. They then took part in a memory and response challenge designed to get students thinking on their feet and working together from the outset.

Students were set the challenge of building a vehicle using Meccano-style pieces capable of transporting a weighted bag; testing their communication, creativity, and collaboration under pressure.

Each team successfully completed the task, with their vehicles remaining intact during the final races, proving both their engineering skills and teamwork.

The sessions were a great opportunity for students to apply real-world thinking and build confidence in a hands-on learning environment—closely linking to our school’s personal development curriculum and STEM learning objectives.

“The activities provided by the Royal Navy last week gave the opportunity for some of our Year 9 students to experience hands-on problem solving. It was great to see such enthusiasm and excellent teamwork by our students. This type of activity can help to build resilience and to keep going when something has not gone right the first time. Hands-on learning opportunities such as this can be crucial for embedding core skills that will serve our learners well for the future. We hope to welcome the Royal Navy team back to the Lower Academy next year.” T.Smith - Assistant Headteacher and Personal Development Lead

“We found the task interesting and amusing. It was fun having good teammates who were able to help you, and we understood each other very well, which made the task more enjoyable. The Royal Navy people made this experience very fun.” Olivia.H, Rhiannon.E, Lily.S and Greta.D

“I really enjoyed it and would definitely do it again. I’ve learned a range of skills that I might not have picked up in a classroom. They showed us that you can get paid training for a career in the Armed Services.” Martin.J