PUPILS from Cornish schools enjoyed a fantastic STEAM Day at Truro School Prep on Saturday, February 8.

Part of Truro School’s community outreach programme, the Discovery Day allowed 50 Year 4 pupils from primary schools around Cornwall to experience a range of STEAM subjects including DT, Computing and Coding, and Art and Design.

The morning was a chance for children with an interest in science, technology, art and design to engage in a fun and challenging morning with Prep teaching teams and to meet others with similar interests.

The children were split into four groups before heading off to a two-hour activity of their choosing from designing and building a wooden robot experimenting with printing, a Micro:bit workshop for young innovators and seaside ceramic design.

While STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) has long been part of educational vocabulary, STEAM includes the Arts, providing the opportunity for scientific and technological concepts to be developed through creative processes.

STEAM necessitates the use of both the right (creative) and left (logical) sides of the brain, and is at its best as a platform for collaborative working.

“The world our children will inherit will be significantly more exciting and more challenging than ours today,” said Rob Morse, head of Truro Prep.

“Technological advances will change the landscape for future careers and opportunities. It will be the capability to navigate and manipulate technology, alongside the ability to be resilient and creative and to work collaboratively, that will give our children a head start.

“This is where STEAM makes its mark today. It was a fun and rewarding morning, and a pleasure to witness the communication, cooperation and sheer delight so clearly evident as these children grew in skill and confidence.”

Anyone interested in STEAM subjects is invited to Truro School Prep’s next open morning on Saturday, March 8, from 10am to noon.