Rydal Penrhos Reception pupils recently followed up their STEM project on the Three Little Pigs with a wonderful day out at Piggery Pottery, an arts and crafts centre specialising in personalised ceramic gifts.
One of the strengths of Rydal Penrhos is its ability to deliver the curriculum in such a way that different subjects combine and compliment one another. In the Prep, an example of this was seen recently when Rydal Penrhos’ Reception class ventured out on a trip to Piggery Pottery in Cwm-y-Glo, Caernarfon. There, pupils combined their STEM knowledge with their Art skills as they produced a brightly-coloured assortment of painted ceramic shapes.
Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths fields, or ‘STEM’ fields, as they have been dubbed, are increasingly central to the modern education and employment spheres. While Rydal Penrhos has an outstanding track record in these subjects, helping a host of pupils onto prestigious university courses and degree apprenticeships, the school has not rested on its laurels; instead, STEM has become a key part of the curriculum all the way down the school to Reception, where pupils participate in a double-lesson each Monday afternoon.
In these lessons, Reception have recently used the fable of ‘The Three Little Pigs’ to explore various STEM ideas through an interesting and entertaining perspective. Parents can imagine how the fairy-tale story of three pigs and their houses of straw, sticks and bricks – which are forced to contend with the huffing and puffing of a Big Bad Wolf – could lend our inquisitive pupils some important lessons in sound structural engineering!
The trip to Piggery Pottery allowed pupils to take the story of the three pigs and their houses, which they are now very familiar with, and apply it to a whole different area. Art is an important subject at Rydal Penrhos; from an early age, pupils at Rydal Penrhos encounter countless opportunities to draw, paint, sculpt and craft using a range of different materials and techniques. In the Prep, pupils produce some truly-inspiring work in the excellently well-equipped Art Studio; taking a school trip to a new environment can help further develop and consolidate creative skills honed in class.
Piggery Pottery, founded on the site of a former pigsty, offers access to a diverse choice of shapes to decorate in vivid colours and patterns, including windchimes, plates and, of course, piggy banks! Pupils thoroughly enjoyed their time using paints, sponges, brushes, glitter, sequins and even wobbly eyes to bring their unique creations to life. From butterflies to cats to rainbows, the enthusiasm and positivity of our Reception class was born out in their ceramic creations.
Coming towards the end of this half-term, this was a fine way to cap off Reception’s STEM project and a memorable school trip for all involved. We would like to thank both our Prep staff and Piggery Pottery for making this fantastic day possible.
