Absolutely Education finds out more about Kingswood School’s innovative STEAM curriculum

STEAM has become a buzz word among educators over the past few years, as the traditional STEM subjects (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) are linked to arts and creativity to encourage children to make connections and innovate.

Starting them young is the approach to this at Kingswood School, Bath. Every child, from Reception to Year 6, has lessons given by the school’s STEAM department. Younger children’s lessons are mostly made up of art, DT, computing and outdoor learning, with science also taught. As they progress, science becomes a more separate lesson. Kingswood, which offers education from nursery to sixth form, has dedicated STEAM classrooms–all located on the top floor of the school’s new Tudor Brown Innovation Centre.

Much of the science curriculum for younger age groups is practical in nature, with lessons developed out of students’ questions. There’s plenty of equipment to experiment with, but Kingswood’s robots are the stars, ranging from basic b-bots to Lego Mindstorms. A CNC machine lets children design with plastic, wood or metal, while the desktop vacuum formers are very useful for the Year 3 chocolate project. Early STEAM teaching is designed to help children make connections across subject areas and develop the approach needed for both creative and scientific careers of the future.

Find out more about Kingswood, and forthcoming open days, at kingswood.bath.sch.uk

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