Robotics
Building - Development - Programming - Coaching - Testing - Competing - Mentoring
As a technology teachers, we were are always looking for better ways to teach the fundamentals, I have always been a believer in applying the learning as my of way of teaching and it proved to be an extremely powerful tool.
I first started teaching robotics as part of my electronics classes, as the Systems and Control portion of the Design and Technology curriculum, as it was then. Little did I know that it would grow into a discrete subject and almost a second full time job.
Robotics quickly became an indispensable tool for teaching and a way of opening up opportunities for our students, we started teaching Robotics both within the curriculum and as an extracurricular club. Small scale at the outset, the GCA Robotics Club became massive, and was a major draw for students to the academy.
More importantly with its success, recruitment from primary schools in the area increased dramatically, making the academy a first pick for students wanting a real STEM education.
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It is still a mystery to me why all schools are not actively teaching robotics as part of the curriculum, it fits so many areas, from computing, design technology and of course engineering. As the then Head of Faculty for Design, Technology and Engineering, we set up and developed a very strong and successful robotics program. Our students repeatedly showed that they could successfully compete with the very best schools in the country, at the national level and our teams have consistently represented the United Kingdom internationally as well.

I started teaching Robotics well before we got into First Tech Challenge, Lego League or VEX. I always made sure that all my STEM students had the chance to build robots from basic electronic components.

All our teams started off learning the basics, and we had so much interest in Robotics that over time the club grew to accommodate more than 60 students all building and wanting to compete!

Our Robotics teams worked with our partner primary schools to provide robotics outreach as part of our developing STEM program

Thanks to my dear friend and colleague Ricardo Garcia De Paredes for bringing in VEX Robotics to the academy, as a result our engineering students really started to flourish.
Teaching robotics was a natural progression from technology and computing, it became one of the major driving forces in recruitment for the academy and was a fundamental part of the STEM pathway we put in place. With a massively oversubscribed extracurricular club, a dedicated building, the support of my core team and open door policy, we developed a very successful Robotics program. Starting with electronics motor and chips, but moving into some of the biggest competitions, like First Lego League, First Tech Challenge and the VEX Robotics Competition.

GCA Magazine showcased our work each year, making sure to publicise our team’s successes at competitions.

Watching each robot develop from the first iteration to final competitive robots is always fascinating, but the designs don’t always last long in competitions.

Our teams developed many prototypes during each season, building on their knowledge and experience, then competing, they became experts very quickly.

First Tech Challenge, year 7s and year 10s at their first national finals. Robotics club quickly evolved into an oversubscribed club, from basic electronics, through First Lego League, Vex robotics and First Tech Challenge.

Roboteers one of our most successful teams, rebuilding during National Finals! Student rebuilding during competitions was both a risk and frustrating to watch but did sometimes pay off. They went on to win National UK Robot Skills that year.
With an oversubscribed extra-curricular club, a dedicated building, an open door policy, our students became some of the most successful teams nationally. Considering where we started, using simple components, motors and programable chips, all on a shoe string budget. We were lucky to find funding and help where and when we needed, so that we could move into some of the biggest robotics competitions, like First Lego League, First Tech Challenge and the VEX Robotics Competition.

GCA Magazine – With so many programs running in our STEM club we needed to explain them clearly, all were over subscribed, with enthusiastic and excited students.

Complex engineering problems being solved on a daily basis, our students became experts at planning, working through ideas and testing out the solutions.

Teaching students to CAD their designs and test these before building, worked extremely well and meant that much of the support and subsidiary mechanisms could be tested, redesign and then be assembled quickly for testing. Whole sub-assemblies could be tested quickly in this way.

Our teams were able to attend many of the biggest tournaments in the country, some at spectacular venues such as Stowe School, learning from and networking with their peers to form lasting friendships.

VEX Robotics Teacher of the Year 2019, presented by Bridie Gaynor, then Competition Support Manager in the UK for VEX Robotics
We developed a clear vision of what we needed to teach and skills that our students needed to for their futures, using this we built forward, looking to design a truly relevant set of courses to replace an outdated and unchallenging curriculum. Our students learnt industry standard skills, using state of the art machinery and current technology, and up to date techniques and skills, that was in step with new developments in design, technology, engineering and manufacturing.

GCA Magazine - Robotics 2019 - Our Robotics teams qualify for world championships, after winning UK VEX National Robotic Skills Champions

GCA Magazine - Robotics 2020 - Once again our VEX IQ teams qualify for world championships.
Our students repeatedly showed that they could compete with at the national level and competed successfully internationally as well. We couldn't have competed at the level we finally did without the kind funding provided by the Greig Trust and the Worshipful Company of the Tallow Chandlers who supported both STEM and Technology at the academy, and without whose help we would not have been able to compete internationally.

GCA Magazine - The Robotics Journey - From beginners to world championship qualifiers 2022. Four teams qualified for VEX Worlds! a trend that was to continue.

I spent many weekends hosting robotics tournaments, we ran four a year, and attended many around the country. Setting up a tournament was always difficult, but extremely satisfying after a few years tournaments tended to run themselves, all thanks to all our volunteers!

Many of our team members mentored the younger years and the complexity of the robots developed accordingly. Successive redesigns, and multiple competitions refined the designs, leading to more tournament wins.

VEX worlds is huge and getting everyone there and back was always a challenge. The teams loved the whole experience, and it was great that they had the chance to meet so many other teams from all around the world.

After a whole season competing the robots were as good as they were going to be, expertly designed tested over the season and perfected, programmed and with a whole set of spare parts for the competition.
Over the last 6 years my teams consistently qualified for World Championships, ranking amongst the top 3 to 4% of teams in the world. They worked incredibly hard for this. As did I, as a coach and mentor, this almost became a second full time job, while working as STEM coordinator at Greig City.

Opening up opportunities for our students was the primary aim of both the STEM curriculum and Robotics. We had a good track record of our robotics students applying for and successfully becoming Arkwright Scholars over the years. Many have now graduated from university, and we still see them at some of the competitions around the country. Again, without the kind support of Worshipful Company of Tallow Chandlers, The Worshipful Company Of Joiners & Ceilers Of The City Of London, and The Worshipful Company of Engineers, full scholarships would have been impossible.

Reaching World Championships was not the end, it was nearly at the end of the season, with my teams competing, it was a time for us to all reflect on the past year and plan the next season.

Every year, by the end of the season, my teams had a final prototype, a robot robust enough to withstand competitive matches and exhaustively tested in tournaments.

Sustaining teams competing at national and world championship level became the normal. A hard slog, planning, finding the funding and organising the logistics became part of my yearly plan for STEM.

My reward was a desk full of trophies, happy, enthusiastic students, and a great network of colleagues around the country, doing the very same thing.

Over the last 6 years my teams consistently qualified for VEX World Championships, ranking amongst the top 3 to 4% of teams in the world, they all worked incredibly hard to achieve this. The list of people supporting this is long, and I am very grateful to all those who worked with me to make this happen, my coleagues, the students, thier parents and all those working to develop STEM and robotics teacjing.
The list of people supporting my efforts to develop meaningful Design and Techology education is long. I am very grateful to all those who worked with me to make this happen, my close colleagues, of course the students, the parents without whose support trips could not have happened, and all those working to develop STEM and robotics teaching in the UK. Most importantly all those involved in VEX Robotics in the UK, an incredible network of immensely talented teachers and mentors who I have had the pleasure of working with over many years.