Y6 - Visit Leighton Park

The students had the opportunity to choose between two immersive workshops, each designed to spark curiosity and engage their minds and their creative skills.

For those who opted for the Chinese New Year Workshop, the workshop blended language learning, cooking and learning about China and Chinese culture. First of all, the students enjoyed an interactive lesson with Leighton Park’s Mandarin teacher Lan Worrall, learning all about China, traditions associated with the Chinese New Year celebrations, Chinese Calligraphy and even a few key phrases in Mandarin. The session offered a fascinating overview of China and Chinese culture including the significance of the Chinese New Year festival, as well as a chance to practice their language skills.

The workshop then moved to the Food Technology room, where the students had the chance to create delicious Chinese Spring Rolls. Under the guidance of their Food Tech teacher Karen Hicks, the students learned how to make the tasty treats, gaining valuable skills including food prep, chopping, grating and cooking.

Meanwhile, for those in the Design and Technology Lego Workshop, the challenge was all about iterative design. Students worked in teams to design and build a vehicle using Lego Technik, which they then tested on a ramp that increased in steepness as the workshop progressed. They were tasked with creating a vehicle that could scale the ramp without toppling over or losing momentum. With each attempt, students were encouraged to tweak and refine their designs, learning the importance of trial and error in the engineering process. It was an excellent opportunity to see creativity and problem-solving in action as the students worked together to overcome challenges and improve their designs.

It was a day full of energy and creativity. Ruth Carlisle-Smith commented “It was a wonderful experience for the pupils. They learnt so much. It was a hugely beneficial and interesting morning.” Year 6 student Maya, who took part in the DT workshop, thought it was “It was amazing!” whilst Kiyomi, who participated in the Chinese New Year workshop, thought it was “The best day ever”.