PUBLISHED 19 March 2024
On Friday 8th March, Ms Burke and twenty four students participated in the Fylde Rotary Competition. This is an annual event where students are assigned a design and make task on the day, which judges how well students plan, collaborate and test their ideas together.
This year the challenge was to generate a solution to, hypothetically, allow an emergency rescue package to be delivered to people stranded on the other side of crocodile infested waters. Students were challenged to produce a design folder which demonstrated their ideas, individual roles and how they planned to carry out & test their favourite idea.
It was wonderful to see a huge turn out for the challenge day, from across the Fylde and a return to almost full capacity, not attained since before Covid. Working alongside other schools and colleges, AKS students moved onto the making part of the challenge day and as the judges rotated the room checking on progress, students were tasked with using a variety of woodwork tools to assemble a platform using a pully systems, which would travel safely across a mock up suspended bridge.
AKS this year entered mixed year groups within the KS3 foundation level and KS4 intermediate challenge. This year we also returned with KS5 advanced groups and staff attended were proud of their efforts and representation of school, demonstrating true AKS team spirit and good ability to contribute to the wider community (as many of them are soon to leave AKS and aspire to their chosen career paths).
Alex, Year 13, "I found the Rotary challenge really thought provoking, it stretched us to consider creative solutions & I found this a rewarding experience for my future Engineering career."
John, Year 12, "During the day I learnt more about my peers and how they attack problem solving activities, which will benefit my higher studies at Lancaster University & supports my teamworking skills".
We are pleased to say students competed with determination in all categories and we achieved first place with one of our KS3 foundation groups.
Congratulations to Freya and Amelie (Year 9) and Pippa and Matheson (Year 8) for their sterling efforts in achieving first place. And event was held on International Womens Day, it was quite fitting that the AKS winners were awarded their 2024 winners trophy by the first female Rotary president, Carol and her beloved furry companion.
Congratulations to all centres which attended & winners. We look forward to participating again next year.
Sarah Burke, Head of AKS Design and Technology