Extracurricular ambitions

Staff at the secondary school recently revealed they are big believers in engaging children in extra curricular activities, to keep students developing their skills and building on their experience in their own time.

This week, two teams from the Bradfield-based school will go head-to-head with other school teams at the international UK and Ireland National Final at Sivlerstone Circuit, where they will represent Sheffield in the Development Class and Professional Class.

Sam Booth, head of design and technology at the school, said: “After taking part in this international competition for years, we have managed to get two teams through national final - no other school will take two teams.

“Our teams have been working with some of Sheffield’s best know companies - Gripple, AMRC, Sheffield University, Sheffield Hallam University, GI Group, Henry Boot, Swann Morton and WNT - to prepare and be in the best position to win. The winning team will travel to the World Finals in Austin, Texas.”

And another team of students, along with the school’s robotics teacher, Dan Grant, has just applied for TV series Robot Wars.

Sam added: “It was a crazy idea but the team is assembled and the application is in! The team consists of key stage 3 and key stage 4 students who have been working hard to build the robot over the last few months. Again the team have been working with some pretty amazing Sheffield companies, including MTL Advanced, who laser cut the armour plating for the robot.

“Here at Bradfield we are very keen to enrich what happens in the classroom by providing engaging and complex extra curricular activities for our students. By entering these competitions the students get to solve real world problems, develop the skills they learn in class and be part of something they will remember for the rest of their lives.”