Pocklington School’s Lower School pupils recently had the opportunity to take a break from their usual timetable and participate in workshops that were designed to enhance their practical application of skills and provide a memorable learning experience.

First Year pupils explored their business skills in a special day that focused on entrepreneurship, problem-solving and teamwork. The theme of the day revolved around music festivals and the pupils were presented with several challenges that encouraged creativity, innovation and social responsibility.

In small groups, the pupils were given several tasks to complete. Firstly, they were asked to make hats using provided materials and then market the product to their peers. They were also tasked with finding solutions to the major environmental problem of abandoned tents at festivals, upcycling festival rubbish into saleable products and recruiting an events manager for their business.

The pupils approached the day with enthusiasm and creativity, experimenting with different approaches to tackle the various challenges. They came up with some intriguing ideas and products for the upcycling task, demonstrating a strong sense of social and environmental responsibility.

At the end of the day, the four leading house teams were selected to present their ideas to the entire year group and the Headmaster of Pocklington School, Toby Seth. The team from Wilberforce House emerged as the champions of the Enterprise Day 2024.

This initiative is part of the PSHE curriculum, organised by the Department of Economics, Business and Enterprise at Pocklington School. The Head of the Department, Gareth Shephard, praised the pupils’ professionalism, stating that the day was an excellent opportunity for them to showcase their creativity, ambition and teamwork, while learning new skills and having fun.

Meanwhile, the Second Year pupils participated in a STEM day centered around the theme of ‘Tsunami Strikes’. The inspiration for the activities came from the tsunami that hit the islands of Tonga in January 2022, which prompted the country’s authorities to quickly respond and aid the affected people. Pupils engaged in five diverse activities aimed at exploring various aspects of the event.

In mathematics, they performed logistics calculations to determine the optimal time and method for transporting necessary supplies to the affected regions. In chemistry, they designed and tested water filters to provide clean drinking water. In design, they modelled and tested aircraft for supply delivery. In physics, they worked on creating safe ways to parachute supplies (in the form of eggs) into the affected areas. Lastly, in IT, they researched and produced their own video weather reports to forecast the weather.

Throughout the day, the pupils exhibited their enthusiasm, engagement and teamwork skills, demonstrating their ability to work with different groups and teachers. Charlie Prosser, Academic Extension Co-ordinator at Pocklington School, expressed how well the pupils tackled the challenging tasks, saying: “The pupils displayed resilience and an impressive ability to work independently to solve problems.”