SOUTH HOLLAND

One Diploma employer partner has gone above and beyond after getting a UK school and a school in China working together to build a wind turbine

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palding Grammar School’s partnership with a local engineering firm has gone a step beyond visits and work

placements. Cummins Generator Technologies (CGT)

– a multi-national engineering firm – set the Lincolnshire secondary and a Chinese school a project to develop a wind turbine, to give them experience of engineering at first hand. “We went on visits to the factory so that students could see different processes and get an insight into what the industry is about,” said Dion Jones, head of design and technology at the school, its engineering “champion”, and a nominee in the Teacher or Lecturer of the Year category for the National Delivering Diplomas Awards 2010. “The company then sets us specific tasks

and the students had to find out information and design the turbine with the guidance of the plant. “Pollution is a big problem in China

so there is an awareness of the need for renewable energy such as solar panels and wind turbines.” The team of Level 2 students from Spalding worked remotely with pupils at Tianuyi High School over a period of 15 months during their lunchtimes and an after- school engineering club to develop a low-cost vertical axis wind turbine which was capable of charging lead acid batteries. Most of the practical work was done here under the guidance of engineers from Stamford-based CGT, as Chinese schools are not as geared up towards practical work. A knock-on effect of the project was that it

brought the two groups of students together to problem-solve, innovate and work together on a technically challenging project. Once completed, members of the team took

the turbine to China last November, where it was assembled and installed, thanks to travel sponsorship from the British Council. “The students there learn more theory than

doing practical work so we made the turbine and took it over there. The work for this project was done mainly at lunchtime and after school because we didn’t want to disrupt lessons,” Mr Jones added. “The turbine was installed on the roof of

the school and it remains there today. The project was a fantastic opportunity for the students to see what the engineering industry is all about.” The Diploma in Engineering offered by

the South Holland Partnership – which comprises three secondary schools and Stamford College – was set up by Mr Jones, who designed it with not only the needs of local industry in mind, but also with the possible input of businesses, to make it work.

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Spalding Grammar is the lead school for the Diploma. Of the 23 students doing the qualification, 18 are pupils at the school. For Spalding, which has specialist status

in engineering and languages, offering a Diploma in Engineering was an obvious step forward to enhance the work it was already doing in this subject. Margaret Marsh, the school’s head, said:

“Our curriculum was already moving steadily and confidently down the engineering route, with GCSE courses on offer in engineering and graphics. The opportunity to offer another engineering course and one which was designed by leaders of industry was music to Dion’s ears.

“There was no doubt in any of our minds

that we were on to a winner when he agreed to champion the Diploma. “They are the only department in the

school to teach longer than the school day and they have all been flexible in their approach.” The success of the qualification at Spalding and its partner schools is fuelled by the excellent opportunities offered to students. The consortium has developed links with

a number of local engineering firms, giving learners an insight into the industry and the diversity of jobs and roles that are available. Kerry Marsh, head of quality and external

www.engineeringdiploma.com

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