A recent STEM Fair hosted by Carlton Bolling School in Bradford is sparking excitement among students between year 5 and year 8 after giving them a unique opportunity to explore the real life applications of STEM topics.

Equipped with more resources, facilities and expertise in STEM topics than some other primary schools in the area, Carlton Bolling were eager to share that resource with other schools, aiming to enhance the educational experience of many children in the area.

The fair was designed to ignite curiosity and inspire the next generation of innovators by demonstrating how STEM subjects play a crucial role in everyday life.

Led by STEM Ambassadors Chris Chisman and Tamara Butterworth, the fair welcomed over 360 students from various primary schools. Students from Thorpe Primary, Peel Park Primary, Carlton Mills Primary, Marshfield Primary, Killinghall Primary, and Byron Primary, all part of the Enthuse Partnership, gathered at Carlton Bolling Secondary School to participate in the fair, which featured a series of interactive workshops.

The workshops, delivered by both secondary school teachers and STEM Ambassadors, spanned a diverse range of STEM activities and topics, from engineering challenges to ICT tasks and hands-on science experiments. Each activity was carefully designed to engage students of different ages, ensuring that the content was both accessible and challenging.

Students were visibly excited and enthusiastic to take part, and the engagement from each of the schools was a testament to the dedication of the STEM Ambassadors that pulled the event together and the hands-on approach of each activity and how they were suited to each age group that participated.

Overwhelmingly positive feedback came after the event from students and teachers alike.

One teacher from Carlton Bolling commented, “"The STEM fair was an excellent platform to inspire young minds and introduce them to the exciting possibilities within STEM fields. It was fantastic to see the students so engaged and eager to learn."

Students mirrored the sentiment, showing newfound interest in STEM subjects and showing appreciation and excitement for the activities that they took part in.

But the impact of the STEM fair extended beyond a day of fun, interactive activities – by introducing students to STEM at an early age, Carlton Bolling has helped to spark a lifelong interest in these fields.

These types of initiatives do more than strengthen the community and relationships between primary and secondary schools, they also help to ease the transition for children moving into secondary education.

At the fair, the children were also encouraged to take part in other STEM programmes, clubs and extracurricular activities available at Carlton Bolling, with the aim of guiding students to continue on with their newfound passions.

The success of this STEM fair at Carlton Bolling highlights the transformative impact of hands-on, interactive learning in education and the strength of community collaboration in shaping the future for the next generation.

This event has not only sparked an interest and understanding of STEM subjects in the students, but also made one of their first interactive STEM experiences enjoyable, engaging, and relevant to the real world—opening doors and unlocking opportunities that will benefit both the future of our children and of STEM industries.