The Oaks Collegiate

Hands-on workshops and industry-inspired learning

Our Director of Education Ryan Ball visited King Edward VI Northfield School for Girls in Birmingham to deliver an INSET for the Oaks Collegiate.

The Oaks Collegiate is a group of nine mainstream secondary schools and one special school. Their mission is to work together in partnership to develop best practice and improve the quality of learning in all the Oaks schools.

The first workshop was delivered by our Curriculum Consultant, Paul Woodward. The session delved into CAD using both Tinkercad and Onshape - two prominent, free, cloud-based platforms. The workshop covered the progression within CAD, encompassing designing, assembling, mating, generating 2D and 3D outputs (compatible with laser cutters and 3D printers), creating working drawings, simulations, and integrating these skills into a broader scheme.

The second workshop was delivered by our Director of Education, Ryan Ball. This was grounded in the D&T Association's 'Inspired by Industry' contextual challenges, the workshop also focused on incorporating a design-thinking approach, aligning with the national curriculum, and ensuring harmony with departmental values and beliefs.

The third workshop is to be delivered by Frances Meeks on the planning of cooking and nutrition schemes of work and lesson plans. The workshop will cover various elements, including identifying progression from 5 to 14 years, developing cooking and nutrition schemes of work, and delving into key concepts for food and nutrition education. Participants will explore aspects such as the progression of practical food skills, lesson plan structuring, and the integration of 'Food – A Fact of Life' resources.

Inspired by Industry

Our newly introduced initiative, 'Inspired by Industry,' is designed to support teachers and subject leaders in elevating their KS3 offerings. These educational units tackle authentic challenges from various industries, providing video content and accompanying support materials for seamless integration into KS3 curricula. Every unit is meticulously aligned with the National Curriculum. To aid department leaders and teachers in the effective incorporation of this initiative into their existing curricula, we will be launching free online webinars starting in the early months of the coming year. These webinars aim to provide guidance on successful planning and implementation of 'Inspired by Industry' within the educational framework.