The Vineyard School Parent Portal

STEM Week

Last week, the children immersed themselves in an exciting and enriching STEM Week, packed with hands-on learning, creativity, and curiosity. From the very first day, the school was buzzing with enthusiasm as children across all year groups engaged in a range of mini-projects spanning science, maths and computing. These short, focused activities encouraged pupils to experiment, think critically, and challenge themselves, while collaborative problem-solving tasks helped to develop teamwork and resilience. Throughout the week, classes also explored inspiring STEM pioneers from around the world, celebrating diversity and representation while breaking down stereotypes about who can succeed in STEM careers.

Building on this year's Safer Internet Day, we returned to the topic of AI usage and learnt that not everything we read or hear online is always true. The children then carried out their own simple research by asking AI different questions and comparing the answers they received. They explored whether the responses were true, false, or confusing, and discussed how we might check information using books, adults, or trusted sources. It was a really engaging activity that encouraged curiosity, critical thinking, and lots of thoughtful discussion.

A particular highlight was the series of workshops delivered across the week. We extend our sincere thanks to Kat Par Mackintosh for her organisation of ZooLab, and to the PTA for generously funding this fantastic experience. The children were fascinated by the interactive animal sessions, which included some very unusual visitors, from cockroaches and a giant snail to even a snake, giving them a truly memorable, hands-on science experience. We are also incredibly grateful to our parent volunteer, Dr Saskia Siebl, who led engaging neuroscience workshops for every year group from Reception to Year 6. Her sessions captured the children’s imaginations as they explored how the brain works, learning about key parts such as the hippocampus and amygdala. Pupils worked collaboratively to solve problems, asked thoughtful and curious questions, and demonstrated a real eagerness to understand how they can use their brains effectively to support their learning.

Throughout the week, children also brought in their own projects from home to share with their classmates. They clearly relished the opportunity to present their experiments, explain their thinking, and answer questions in a class Q&A at the end of each session. It was wonderful to see such confidence, curiosity, and pride in their work. STEM Week was a fantastic celebration of innovation and learning, and we are incredibly proud of the enthusiasm and engagement shown by all our pupils.

Caring Curious Courageous

Enabling all children to learn and grow

Friday 24th April 2026