Over the course of this term, Year 6 pupils from Chapel St Leonard’s Primary School have been working alongside their Woodlands Academy colleagues, taking part in Design and Technology lessons in the workshop. The project has been a fantastic example of collaboration across the CIT family, giving pupils the opportunity to learn, create and achieve together.
At the start of the term, pupils were set the challenge of designing and building an enrichment maze for the gerbils in their classroom. They began by researching different ideas and learning about the welfare needs and natural behaviours of gerbils to ensure their designs would be both safe and engaging.
Working together, and supported by staff across both schools, pupils shared ideas, discussed possibilities and developed their plans. After plenty of collaborative thinking, planning and teamwork, the final design was agreed.
Over the following weeks, the pupils worked hard in the Woodlands Academy workshop to bring their vision to life, constructing a maze that would provide enrichment, exploration and challenge for the class gerbils – we certainly did not want them to get bored!
The maze includes a variety of rooms, tunnels, bridges, pipes and areas filled with shredded paper for the gerbils to explore. Although the project is not quite finished, with some decoration and artwork still to be added, pupils are also planning to hide edible treats throughout the maze to encourage natural foraging behaviours and make the experience even more exciting for their furry friends.
This project highlights the benefits of collaboration across the CIT family, with pupils learning from shared resources, expertise and opportunities. Throughout the project, the pupils have demonstrated excellent creativity, teamwork and perseverance, and they should be extremely proud of what they have achieved together.
