Our Goblin Car Club is one of the clubs that our Year 5 pupils take part in on a Friday afternoon. For information about our other Friday afternoon clubs, please visit our Curriculum Page and view 'Fabulous Fridays'.
Our Goblin Car club was established in Autumn 2013. The idea was put forward by two of our parents, Geraldine Venediger and Hayley Cocksworth-Jones who had been running a 'Fabulous Friday' Engineering club for our Key Stage 2 children, putting their Engineering Degrees to excellent use! Having read about 'Goblin Cars' they put the idea to Mrs Stoodley, who was immediately enthusiastic about the idea, having seen the benefit of these cars at a previous school. Mrs Venediger and Mrs Cocksworth-Jones set about fundraising to purchase the cars. They were so successful, the school was able to buy a 'fleet' of four cars, allowing all of our Year 5 pupils to begin working on them.
The children learn to build the cars, starting with a 'box of bits'. They then have to learn how to fine tune them, troubleshoot, and maximise performance, developing their understanding of forces, physics and engineering skills along the way. The children then have the opportunity to learn to drive the cars, and have the ultimate challenge of racing these at different Goblin Car 'meets' through the year.
Click on the link below to see the action at Goodwood Racing Meet:
https:/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3BUGXV4L6wc
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/educationnews/11746259/Good-news-Friday-gimme-a-brake.html
http://www.chichester.co.uk/news/local/goodwood-s-goblin-gathering-airs-on-cbbc-blue-peter-1-6892549
https://www.facebook.com/altonpostgazette
http://www.bbc.co.uk/cbbc/joinin/bp-barney-radzi-goblin-race-vote
http://www.bbc.co.uk/cbbc/watch/bp-radzi-sings-while-driving
In September 2014, a reporter from the Sunday Times magazine came to our school to find out more about our Goblin Car club, and the benefits that taking part in this club have brought to our children. Below are some images of Dominic Tobin's visit, and his interviews with the staff, volunteers and children involved. We also took the opportunity for our 'Junior Journalists' to interview Dominic about his job on a national newspaper. The article was published in The Sunday Times magazine on Sunday 12th October 2014. You can also read further news on the Sunday Times Magazine website by clicking on the link below:
Links to the National Curriculum
English
Purpose of study
English has a pre-eminent place in education and in society. A high-quality education in English will teach pupils to write and speak fluently so that they can communicate their ideas and emotions to others and through their reading and listening, others can communicate with them. Through reading in particular, pupils have a chance to develop culturally, emotionally, intellectually, socially and spiritually. Literature, especially, plays a key role in such development. Reading also enables pupils both to acquire knowledge and to build on what they already know. All the skills of language are essential to participating fully as a member of society; pupils, therefore, who do not learn to speak, read and write fluently and confidently are effectively disenfranchised.
Aims
The overarching aim for English in the national curriculum is to promote high standards of literacy by equipping pupils with a strong command of the written and spoken word, and to develop their love of literature through widespread reading for enjoyment. The national curriculum for English aims to ensure that all pupils:
Writing Opportunities
Letters: requesting help; asking for financial support; thanking people for help and support.
Instructions: for constructing the car or a part of it; for driving; for care of equipment such as crash helmets.
Diaries: Weekly progress
Reports: on experiments to improve performance; on race day events
Speaking and Listening Opportunities
Mathematics
Purpose of study
Mathematics is a creative and highly inter-connected discipline that has been developed over centuries, providing the solution to some of history’s most intriguing problems. It is essential to everyday life, critical to science, technology and engineering, and necessary for financial literacy and most forms of employment. A high-quality mathematics education therefore provides a foundation for understanding the world, the ability to reason mathematically, an appreciation of the beauty and power of mathematics, and a sense of enjoyment and curiosity about the subject.
Aims
The national curriculum for mathematics aims to ensure that all pupils:
Maths opportunities
Science
Purpose of study
A high-quality science education provides the foundations for understanding the world through the specific disciplines of biology, chemistry and physics. Science has changed our lives and is vital to the world’s future prosperity, and all pupils should be taught essential aspects of the knowledge, methods, processes and uses of science. Through building up a body of key foundational knowledge and concepts, pupils should be encouraged to recognise the power of rational explanation and develop a sense of excitement and curiosity about natural phenomena. They should be encouraged to understand how science can be used to explain what is occurring, predict how things will behave, and analyse causes.
Aims
The national curriculum for science aims to ensure that all pupils:
Working scientifically
During years 5 and 6, pupils should be taught to use the following practical scientific methods, processes and skills through the teaching of the programme of study content:
Forces
Pupils should be taught to:
Opportunities
Properties and changes of materials
Opportunities
Electricity
Pupils should be taught to:
Opportunities
Art and Design
Purpose of study
Art, craft and design embody some of the highest forms of human creativity. A high-quality art and design education should engage, inspire and challenge pupils, equipping them with the knowledge and skills to experiment, invent and create their own works of art, craft and design. As pupils progress, they should be able to think critically and develop a more rigorous understanding of art and design. They should also know how art and design both reflect and shape our history, and contribute to the culture, creativity and wealth of our nation.
Aims
The national curriculum for art and design aims to ensure that all pupils:
Pupils should be taught to develop their techniques, including their control and their use of materials, with creativity, experimentation and an increasing awareness of different kinds of art, craft and design.
Pupils should be taught:
Opportunities
Computing
Purpose of study
A high-quality computing education equips pupils to understand and change the world through logical thinking and creativity, including by making links with mathematics, science, and design and technology. The core of computing is computer science, in which pupils are taught the principles of information and computation, and how digital systems work. Computing equips pupils to use information technology to create programs, systems and a range of media. It also ensures that pupils become digitally literate – able to use, and express themselves and develop their ideas through, information and communication technology – at a level suitable for the future workplace and as active participants in a digital world.
Aims
The national curriculum for computing aims to ensure that all pupils:
Pupils should be taught to:
Opportunities
Design and technology
Purpose of study
Design and technology is an inspiring, rigorous and practical subject. Using creativity and imagination, pupils design and make products that solve real and relevant problems within a variety of contexts, considering their own and others’ needs, wants and values. They acquire a broad range of subject knowledge and draw on disciplines such as mathematics, science, engineering, computing and art. Pupils learn how to take risks, becoming resourceful, innovative, enterprising and capable citizens. Through the evaluation of past and present design and technology, they develop a critical understanding of its impact on daily life and the wider world. High-quality design and technology education makes an essential contribution to the creativity, culture, wealth and well-being of the nation.
Aims
The national curriculum for design and technology aims to ensure that all pupils:
Through a variety of creative and practical activities, pupils should be taught the knowledge, understanding and skills needed to engage in an iterative process of designing and making. They should work in a range of relevant contexts, such as the home, school, leisure, culture, enterprise, industry and the wider environment.
When designing and making, pupils should be taught to:
Design
Make
Evaluate
Technical knowledge
Opportunities
Learning beyond the National Curriculum
“Since we cannot know what will be needed in the future, it is senseless to try to teach it in advance. Instead, our job must be to turn out young people who love learning so much , and who learn so well, that they will be able to learn whatever needs to be learnt”
John Mills.
The building, testing and racing of the cars will provide opportunities for the children to develop transferable learning skills.
Resilience:
Resourcefulness
Relationships
Reflection