Abstract:

STEM subjects, particularly engineering, continue to have low uptake from UK secondary curriculum choices through to graduate study, especially among young females, yet industry need for skilled STEM employees continues to exceed supply, stable career paths are side-lined and the potential for good salaries is not accessed. Greenpower Education Trust is a UK charity working internationally to kick start careers in science and engineering, unlocking potential and sparking enthusiasm for STEM through access to the world of motorsport. Pupils aged 9 to 11 participate at the Greenpower Formula Goblin class by building their own electric racing car from a kit of parts, designing and constructing their own car bodywork, before going on to compete against other schools at national race-day events, all in a fun and exciting way.

This paper documents the launch of a Greenpower Formula Goblin team with a class of Year 5 and 6 pupils at a small UK village primary school. It shows how Greenpower can be combined with multi-media to maintain pupil focus, widen educational scope and engage the local community to support the initiative, thereby raising the positive profile of engineering both within and outside the school. The paper shows how the pupils have engaged with mechanical, electrical, design and systems engineering and how tasks were allocated over an extended period to sustain the project whilst fitting around national key stage two assessment processes in the summer term. It shows how pupils obtained certified accreditation of their work, before achieving a multi-award winning performance at a national race-day event in the launch year of the project. The paper concludes by reflecting upon the experience to guide further direction of the local project and summarises key aspects of the approach which are applicable to other STEM engagement initiatives and projects.

Keywords:

STEM, Engineering, Motorsport, Motor-racing, Primary, Education, Project Based Learning, Outreach.