The school hosted a heat of the BAA Heathrow Engineering Challenge and over the course of two days, all of the boys in Year 8 participated in the Heathrow Secondary School Engineering Challenge (HSSEC), whose aims are to develop pupils’ interests in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) subjects and potential careers.  Boys worked together in small teams, developing key life skills that are sought by employers, such as communication, self-confidence and problem solving. The workshop also introduced students to the Heathrow Engineering Apprenticeship scheme and our pupils met several young apprentices currently placed with BAA and they took this opportunity to quiz the apprentices about the opportunities available and about the skills and knowledge required to become an engineer with BAA. Throughout the 2 days, pupils worked in pairs to solve a number of design tasks that incorporated engineering, electronics, mathematics and programming skills. Putting all of their theoretical subject knowledge to practical use, Mr Fisher (Head of Design Technology) reported that ‘there was great interaction between the boys, seeking innovative ways to solve some difficult technical problems and producing very effective outcomes.’