Intermediate STEMbotics: Robotics & Coding Workshop (UK2-KS4)

Our Intermediate robotics workshops challenge students to design, build and code Lego robots to meet a range of age- and experience-appropriate challenges.

Our Intermediate robotics sessions will include use of our bespoke challenge mats, with students using motors, sensors and different mechanisms to solve problems. Alternatively, we can tailor sessions to meet school objectives from the Computing, Design Technology or Science curricula.

Students can code their robots in an interface that is very similar to Scratch, reinforcing and extending prior learning from the computing curriculum. We can cover core coding principles of sequencing, selection and iteration, with the possibility of using functions and variables in longer session formats.

We want to ensure all learners have a great time building and coding their robots and ensure all our sessions are inclusive. These workshops are fantastic for encouraging teamwork, problem-solving and resilience in the students; there is a huge sense of achievement when a tricky challenge is met!

All our workshops are run by experienced instructors, and we can tailor sessions to include all children, including those with SEN, so that the children can access all activities. When you make any additional needs of your group known, our team can explain how they can encourage, support, and motivate each and every child.

Curriculum Objectives: 

• Computing

• Design technology 

• Engineering 

• Science 

Intermediate STEMbotics Workshop Formats

Intermediate STEMbotics can be delivered to up to 32 students in a classroom setting, or up to 60 students per session in a hall or similar.

We can deliver to up to 40 students per session working in pairs, or up to 60 students per session working in threes.

We highly recommend that students in KS3 receive their experience working in pairs.

Best experience for all options would be in a hall space. Classroom content options are available but opportunities are limited in comparison.

Taster Experience:

• 4 x 1hr sessions/day

• Up to 160 students/day working in pairs

• Up to 240 students/day working in threes

• Students build a vehicle robot from instruction, modify it, and code it around a challenge mat course

Standard Experience:

• 3 x 90 min sessions/day

• Up to 120 students/day working in pairs

• Up to 180 students/day working in threes

• Taster experience plus opportunity for students to code additional motors and sensors

In-Depth Experience:

• 2 x 2 hr sessions/day

• Up to 80 students/day working in pairs

• Up to 120 students/day working in threes

• Recommended experience plus options to re-design robots to complete engineering/coding challenges linked to real-world problems. i.e pick-up and move nuclear waste barrels, rescue stranded astronauts, remove ocean waste etc.

• Possibility of more bespoke content

All Day Experience:

• 1 x 4 hr session/day

• Up to 40 students/day working in pairs

• We do not recommend this format for working in threes

• In-Depth experience plus additional coding concepts and challenges. Possibility to include gearing and multiple sensors.

• Possibility of more complex challenges and bespoke content

Intermediate STEMbotics Space Requirements

• A hall or similar space provides the best experience for students.

• In a hall or alternative large space we can set up our bespoke coding challenge mats, with various routes and tasks, catering for a wide range of abilities; some routes are simple, others are much more complex.

• Each mat requires 4m x 2m and we typically set up 4-6 mats per session.

• Each team will require a double-space table (or two joined exam tables).

• Classroom versions of this workshop are possible. This typically involves two options: building fairground rides or building the upper half of a humanoid robot, using motors for arms, and sensors to enable to robot to interact. Challenge mats are not typically available in a classroom setting.