Overview of the project – Bridging the gap between education and future careers at Primary Level
This article has been written by Becket Primary School in the UK! Thank you for allowing us to share your experiences with our sponsor The Greenhatch Group:
“At Becket we believe that our children should have every opportunity to see what’s ‘out there’ to promote positive possibilities for the future. We also want to enhance our curriculum to highlight the relevance of their learning. To show children that learning matters and can be applied in the outside world. We want to foster that intrinsic motivation to learn, for the children to want to better themselves and know there is a purpose to their learning.
These “outside-in” experiences are priceless. In one morning session, we covered a range of skills that are needed for the future work place. The ‘hands on’ activities of using and respecting expensive equipment to measure our field not only exposed the children to a career in surveying but how the maths skills they learn in school are applied in ‘real life’ jobs.
After talking with Lee Mousley and Sam Lewis from the Greenhatch Group we discovered that we had similar aims for the children in our community. Greenhatch are a part of a project which reaches out to schools to ‘get kids in to survey’.
I was really impressed with how Mr Lewis spoke about The Greenhatch Group. He reflected that as a company they wanted to ‘do better’ for the communities around them and that the company is not all about profiteering. It was a chance for them to give back to the community as well as a chance to promote their profession. In terms of The Greenhatch Group company’s gains – there isn’t really a lot in it for them as business, but I think I am safe to say how Mr Lewis felt when he left, he gained a lot from the experience of working with the children”.
Structure of the morning visit.
Mr Lewis introduced himself to the class and spoke about what surveying is and how it related to the children’s lives – building of houses, schools etc. This was particularly of interest to the children as we are expecting our new school to be built on the field in the near future. Mr Lewis spoke about the collaboration of surveyors, architects and builders to bring projects like ours to fruition. The children were taken out onto the field to start their first activity – measuring using a total station.
Activity 1 – field work
To recap millimetres, centimetre and metres – Children were shown a metre stick and asked questions to check understanding with regards to units of measure. They were then asked to estimate the length of the field. We, of course, had some rather interesting answers! Then the children were asked to run across the field counting one stride as a metre and then come back and have a think about their original answer. The children quickly changed their minds and made more informed estimations.
The children then each had a go at using the total station to measure the field accurately. They dressed up in the appropriate safety clothing (hard hats at the ready!) and worked in pairs to use the total station. They were amazed that the machine locked on to and followed the prism around the field giving different measurements. Each time they were estimating and using their mathematical understanding of measurement to make sensible estimates.
Activity 2 – heading back to the office
Mr Lewis had prepared a booklet of activities for the children to complete. Each page had a mathematical objective.
- Spotting shapes in the London skyline- exploring 2D and 3D shape
- Spotting how many triangles there were in an image and discussing how the triangle is the strongest shape. Vocabulary like ‘structure’ ‘stability’ and ‘strength’ were used.
- Completing a drawing of a house on graph paper – exploring symmtery, shape and accuracy
- A crossword of all the vocabulary that was used over the session – total station-scanner-disto-prism-pogo- tripod
- Measuring a footprint of a house accurately – exploring accurate measuring in a different way, ruler work and converting mm to cm etc..
The children were each given a Greenhatch ruler which they were thrilled about! They were given the rest of the booklet to take home which had some spot the difference activities, word searches and colouring sheets.
Mr Lewis spoke to the children with ease and it was clear that they were really interested and engaged in what he was saying. Having two female trainees with Mr Lewis also provided our girls with excellent role models. Mr Lewis also spoke about lifting aspirations for females in a male dominated work place. This led to a discussion the following day with the class about are there any jobs that are just for men/women?
It was a very successful visit and when Mr Lewis asked what the children wanted to do when they grow up, the usual answer of ‘Youtuber’ was not to be heard! I can say with confidence that aspirations were lifted!
Great to hear of a positive outcome from outreach! Email us if you’ve a story you’d like featured on get Kids into Survey… Or have a look at our Brand Ambassador network who all volunteer to help in schools as above.