St Martin’s has a strong STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, Mathematics) element running through this increasingly important area. To ensure our boys are better prepared for careers of the future, the school is committed to investing in the very best facilities and resources. We are fortunate to have a dynamic and inspiring group of specialist teachers who work together with a real enthusiasm for their subjects.
Science
At St Martin’s we take great pride in offering a comprehensive science education that awakens a child’s sense of wonder and equips them with invaluable skills for future work at senior school and beyond. Our modern laboratories provide the ideal environment for your son to embark on a scientific journey which will challenge and thrill them in equal measure. There will be captivating topics in Chemistry, Physics and Biology which will play to their natural curiosity, helping to rapidly hone their laboratory skills. Through cooperative experimental work, boys will learn to generate and critically analyse data, identifying anomalies, discerning patterns and effectively present their findings in charts and graphs.
Computing
Coding is the new literacy – computational thinking will be a fundamental skill used by everyone, just like reading, writing and arithmetic. With this in mind, it is vital that our boys are equipped ‘to use computational thinking and creativity to understand and change the world’. Our boys have the opportunity to use a wide array of exciting and stimulating resources in their lessons, after-school clubs and at home. Through the use of the block-based Scratch programming language and Python in later years. The boys are given a firm grounding in fundamental skills of computer programming in a fun and stimulating environment. All boys from Reception upwards have dedicated computing lessons and the use of technology permeates many of the other subject areas too. The department competes successfully in a variety of national computing competitions such the Bebras and Oxford Computing Challenges.
Design, Technology and Engineering
Combining Technology and Engineering allows the boys to take risks collaboratively and independently, reflect positively upon their experiences, build resilience and fuel their curiosity and thirst for learning. We offer projects which are both hands on and computer based to open the boys’ minds to new ways of thinking. St Martin’s utilises CAD/CAM (3D modelling, 3D printing, 2D modelling and laser cutting) to its best advantage, therefore furthering and actualising student’s engineered design ideas. We prepare our boys to be the most resilient problem-solvers, who can take on any challenge with eagerness and excitement. In year 7, the boys who have a burning passion for all things Technology and Engineering can apply to the highly coveted DTE Scholar position.
"Technology can become the ‘wings’ that will allow the educational world to fly farther and faster than ever before – if we let it."
