Our school has been at the forefront of Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) activities in Harlow for many years. We have had great success in the past in a diverse range of STEM competitions from quadcopters, gravity racers and the Faraday Challenge to Youth model Rocketry, Lego Robotics and Raspberry-Pi.

We are currently running an after-school club as part of our Phoenix Curriculum, focussed on exploring novel uses for the pocket-sized computer BBC MicroBit to enhance our main science curriculum. We are incredibly fortunate to have a world-class computer scientist as our industry sponsored STEM Ambassador to provide our children with the technical knowhow to make the most of our computing resources. We have used the scientific method and computer coding skills to develop new resources for our GCSE curriculum which will benefit all pupils.

We also have a large and highly skilled number of aerospace engineers in our Youth model Rocketry club. This is a real commitment as the process to design, build and test a model rocket require resilience and resourcefulness a plenty. It also requires a good deal of competitive spirit as we compete against a growing number of schools, not just from the UK, but from the USA, France and Japan. Our current teams consist of an equal number of girls and boys from Years 8-11.

This year, we joined the High Flyers program - an engineering project in association with Standard Airport Academy and Harlow College. Our keenest Year 10 students have been given the opportunity to meet with industry experts and develop their knowledge of aeronautical engineering through hands on activity days. 

Stewards Academy also recognises the importance of engaging with the wider community. Our family Astronomy Club is an opportunity for primary school students to learn about space and use high magnification telescopes. Earlier in the year, we were delighted to host a local scouts group and assist them in attaining their astronomy badge.

In common with all our STEM activities we encourage pupils from all year groups to get involved and gain the new skills and experience to ensure that these are not lost in the future when pupils leave.