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Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) – Reception (Ages 4–5)
My First Home
Duration: 90 minutes
Location: Classroom or Indoor Hall
Group Size: Up to 30 children (small groups)
In this joyful, hands-on workshop, children become architects, engineers and builders for the day. With a little help from R2D2 the robot, they discover a simple truth: every home starts with an idea, a drawing, and a team.
Children explore homes from around the world — from igloos to teepees, from pitched roofs to flat-roof mud homes — and learn that people build differently depending on weather, materials and culture. Then it’s time for the big moment: pupils work together to design, engineer and build a walk-in shelter they can step inside and proudly photograph.
What Children Will Learn (Cross-Curricular)
- Maths: naming 2D/3D shapes, comparing size (big/small, tall/short)
- Understanding the World (Geography): homes in hot, cold, wet and dry places
- Science: what makes a shelter strong and stable
- Art & Design: drawing simple plans and “side views”
- Vocabulary: words like plan, elevation, shelter, strong, materials
- PSED: sharing, turn-taking, teamwork and “kind hands”
Learning Objectives
By the end of the workshop, children will be able to:
- recognise and name basic 2D and 3D shapes
- explain that homes have different parts (walls, roof, door, windows)
- understand that weather and materials affect how homes look
- draw a simple plan (top view) and elevation (side view)
- work in a team to build a structure they can go inside
Key Stage 1 (KS1) – Years 1–2 (Ages 5–7)
London Bridge Challenge
Duration: 90 minutes
Location: Classroom or Hall
Group Size: Up to 30 pupils (6 teams of 5)
In this fast-paced, hands-on build, pupils become Architects, Engineers and Builders as they design, construct and test their very own bridges. We begin with the story of London Bridge, then take a quick trip around the world to see how different places build bridges using different shapes, materials and ideas.
Pupils work in teams through three clear phases — Design → Engineer → Build — and finish with an exciting Bridge Strength Challenge, where bridges are tested to see how much weight they can hold. (Don’t worry: we celebrate clever ideas and teamwork, not just “the strongest”!)
Cross-Curricular Learning (KS1 Friendly)
- Maths: shapes, measuring a gap (span), comparing results
- Science: pushes and pulls, balance, “squash and stretch” (compression/tension)
- Geography: bridges from different continents and environments
- History: famous bridges and why they matter
- Art & Design: drawing and adding creative features
- PSHE: teamwork, turn-taking, role responsibility, communication
Learning Goals
By the end of the workshop, pupils will be able to:
- explain how shapes can make structures stronger
- name a few amazing bridges from around the world
- draw and label a simple bridge design
- test and improve a build using trial and error
- work as a team to build a bridge and take part in a fair test
Key Stage 2 (KS2) – Years 3–6 (Ages 7–11)
The Big Builds
Duration: 2.5 hours
Location: School Hall / Gym / Large Classroom
Group Size: Up to 30 pupils (6 teams of 5) – scalable for larger groups
In this immersive build, pupils step into the world of master builders and discover why great structures look different around the globe. From Gothic cathedrals and the Great Pyramids to the Golden Temple, the Taj Mahal, pagodas, Nubian vaults and Mayan temples, pupils explore how climate, materials, faith, and purpose shape the buildings people create.
Then the challenge begins. Working in teams, pupils move through three clear phases — Design → Engineer → Build — to create a large-scale structure inspired by one or more world landmarks. The session ends with a walk-through exhibition, where teams present their build, explain their choices, and show how they made it strong.
Cross-Curricular Learning
- History: ancient and medieval world structures
- Geography: continents, climates, resources and environments
- Maths: geometry, measurement, symmetry, scale
- Science: forces, stability, bracing, earthquake resistance
- Art & Design: motifs, patterns, decorative features, visual communication
- RE: why sacred buildings matter in different faiths
- PSHE: teamwork, leadership, responsibility, problem-solving
Learning Goals
By the end of the workshop, pupils will be able to:
- identify features of famous buildings from different regions
- explain how place and purpose influence design
- use geometry and measuring to plan a build
- apply structural thinking to improve stability
- work as a team to build a walk-in structure
- present their design decisions clearly to others
Key Stage 3 (KS3) – Years 7–9 (Ages 11–14)
Tall Towers Challenge
Duration: 2 hours
Location: School Hall / Gym / Large Classroom
Group Size: Up to 30 students (6 teams of 5)
This is a fast-paced engineering showdown: teams must design and build the tallest tower that is also stable and well-designed, using only lightweight rods and elastic connectors. Students quickly learn that height is easy — stability is the real challenge.
Teams use geometric thinking to improve strength, explore bracing and triangulation, and (crucially) apply Pythagoras’ theorem to set out accurate square/rectangular bases and keep their structure true. The workshop balances technical problem-solving with creativity, with judging based on height, stability, and aesthetics.
Cross-Curricular Learning
- Maths: Pythagoras, measurement, ratios, symmetry
- Science: forces, centre of gravity, load paths, stability
- Design & Technology: turning drawings into workable prototypes
- Engineering: bracing, triangulation, modular construction
- PSHE: teamwork, communication, leadership under time pressure
Learning Goals
By the end of the workshop, students will be able to:
- use Pythagoras’ theorem to check diagonals and set out accurate bases
- explain how bracing and geometry reduce sway and twisting
- use modular sections to build taller without losing control
- work effectively as a team under constraints (time + materials)
- evaluate performance: what worked, what failed, what to improve
Key Stage 4 (KS4) – Years 10–11 (Ages 14–16)
The Big Build - Viaduct Challenge
Duration: 2.5 hours
Location: School Hall / Gym / Outdoor Space
Group Size: Up to 30 students (6 teams of 5)
This is our flagship engineering challenge. Students become architects, engineers and builders tasked with creating a working viaduct that delivers water from “the mountain” to “the city.” Inspired by Roman aqueducts and other global water systems, the question is simple:
Can your structure move water reliably, safely, and accurately?
Teams work through Design → Engineering → Construction, then face the moment of truth: a dramatic live water-flow test. Success depends on precision, stability, teamwork, and smart use of geometry — not just building fast.
Cross-Curricular STEAM Links
- History: global water engineering through ancient civilisations
- Geography: terrain, climate and why water systems differ across regions
- Maths: geometry, gradient, ratios, accurate setting-out
- Science: forces, load paths, tension/compression, stability
- Design & Technology: plans → prototypes → full-scale build
- PSHE: leadership, collaboration, communication, role responsibility
Learning Goals
By the end of the workshop, students will be able to:
- describe major water-management systems (with time/place context)
- design a viaduct using plan + elevation and key dimensions
- apply gradient and setting-out principles to enable flow
- strengthen structures using bracing, arches, and good load transfer
- test, diagnose failures, and refine a build under time constraints
- reflect on how ancient engineering connects to modern infrastructure
Key Stage 5 (KS5) – Years 12–13 (Ages 16–18)
Structural Futures Studio
Duration: 2.5 hours
Location: Sixth Form Studio / School Hall
Group Size: 20–30 students (5–6 teams)
This is an advanced, post-16 design sprint for students considering architecture, engineering, product design, or the built environment. Teams work like a real studio to prototype part of a future-ready structural system — modular, efficient, climate-resilient and visually compelling.
Using geometry, structural thinking and rapid model-making, students explore tension, compression, triangulation, lateral stability and load paths through physical prototypes. The session introduces professional workflows, encourages innovation, and finishes with a short presentation + performance test.
Vision
To give KS5 learners a genuine taste of structural design thinking — how architects and engineers develop concepts, test ideas quickly, and refine for performance, efficiency and beauty. Students leave with sharper technical confidence, stronger visual communication, and a clearer sense of pathways into built-environment careers.
Learning Goals
By the end of the workshop, students will be able to:
- analyse how forces move through a structure (load paths)
- use geometry to create modular, repeatable systems
- convert sketches into prototypes and iterate quickly
- consider sustainability, material efficiency and aesthetics together
- collaborate in defined roles and present professionally