Students are incorporating techniques they learned in a theatrical workshop into practical work for their GCSE coursework. Students from Brooke Weston and Corby Technical School had a workshop with renowned theatre group Frantic Assembly.

A group of Year 12 and 13 students travelled to Worksop College for a two day philosophy conference.

The event, ‘in the pursuit of knowledge’ was a mixture of exciting interactive workshops and innovative seminars and lectures where ideas were challenged and explored.

Year 12 student Advone Katesande said ‘I really enjoyed this experience. It’s not something you can learn in a classroom. It was interactive and it challenged you to engage. I learnt a lot more as you can interpret the information into your own words which gives you more of an open mind.’

Computer science teacher Ray Chambers is being interviewed by national media about the imminent release of an educational version of Minecraft. The game, which allows users to construct virtual structures, is already popular with students, but the new release is specifically aimed at school use. Mr Chambers has been approached by The Sunday Times and TV show Good Morning Britain to talk about how the software can be used to enhance lessons.

The telephone interview with the Sunday Times should appear in this weekend’s paper and Mr Chambers is due to be live on ITV some time between 06:30 and 08:30 on Tuesday morning.

Year 9 students took on practical challenges including building bridges out of paper and level crossings from Lego during a STEM (science, technology, engineering and maths) day run as part of Tomorrow’s Engineers Week.

This is a nationwide initiative where companies from across the country visit schools to set challenges and practical activities. Network Rail led STEM days at ten schools across the region and students from each will visit their headquarters in Milton Keynes later this month for more challenges, including a programming session on level crossing control.

Welcome to the trainee teachers who are just starting their placements at Brooke Weston as part of the School Direct programme. The year-long course combines university study and school experience and successful candidates will be awarded a PGCE qualification next summer.

The trainees, specialising in English, maths, science, French and history, are a mix of recent undergraduates and those who have had jobs in other sectors but who want a career change to teaching.

As part of a national initiative to increase awareness of STEM careers, science teacher, Ms Reynolds, recently took part in a trip to Iceland.

Organised by the National Science Learning Centre, 15 teachers nationwide applied to go to Iceland to learn about its diverse landscapes and provide their students with varying contexts when teaching.

During the trip they took part in a 185-mile golden circle tour, when they experienced waterfalls, lava fields, volcanoes and geysers, where the power of the water and steam erupting from the ground due to the extreme heat is incredible.