A select group of Year 9 students visited Humberside Engineering Training Association (HETA) during the last week of term to take a closer look at courses available to them during their GCSE studies.
In Year 9, students have the chance to choose what subject options they would like to study during Year 10 and 11.
Alongside core GCSE subjects, they can opt to start an apprenticeship in Engineering, delivered at the HETA headquarters on Copenhagen Road.
To help them make this decision, science teacher Daniel Johansson took a group of enthusiastic young students to HETA for a tour and an afternoon of engineering-related tasks.
After talking to tutors and looking around the workshops and IT suites, students were split into two groups and pitted against Advanced Apprenticeship students – three years older than them!
Tasks such as balancing nine nails on one nail, building a bridge out of dry spaghetti and creating a pair of stilts out of paper and sellotape flummoxed the students for a short while, but they persevered.
Following almost an hour of mentally challenging activities, Malet Lambert were neck and neck with the HETA trainee engineers.
A last minute push put HETA in front by 30 points and they were declared winners of a large box of chocolates – but graciously decided to share with Malet Lambert students.
Year 9 student Terry Johnson was impressed with how much they got to do during their visit.
He said, “I came to find out more about engineering courses but I also really enjoyed the activities.
“All the tasks were related to the subject and they were a lot harder than you first thought when looking at them.
“I think we learned a lot about teamwork and communication this afternoon.”