Innovation Across the School
Innovation continues to thrive across Caterham Prep this term, with children from Reception to Year 6 exploring creativity, problem-solving and digital skills in exciting and practical ways.
In Reception, children are using a range of robots to develop confidence in problem-solving. Year 1 pupils are creating digital books, combining storytelling with technology, while Year 2 are learning how to search online safely and responsibly, building the foundations of strong digital literacy.
In Years 3 and 4, children are designing surveys and collecting information to support their individual EDGE projects using digital forms, they are learning how technology can help us gather and present ideas and the importance of considering the questions we ask to help us get the information we need. Year 5 pupils are stepping back in time to the 1920s, creating their own silent movies by planning, filming and editing authentic-looking films while learning about the history of cinema and the ways in which different technologies have allowed people to tell stories in different ways. In Year 6, pupils are working through a series of design sprints as they develop their own digital apps to solve everyday problems, combining creativity with purposeful problem-solving and talking about the opportunities, risks and mitigations as new technologies allow us to code with the computer as a partner rather than just a tool. We have explored the appearance of ‘vibe coding’, an emerging approach where ideas can be described and developed alongside AI as a creative teammate, rather than coding always being a long and technical process. These discussions naturally lead to important conversations about where AI can be helpful, where caution is needed and how technology should be used responsibly.
Alongside lessons, Innovation Pioneers continues to be a hub of experimentation and invention. Children are exploring new uses for existing technologies, from using Sphero Bolt robots to create digital stories to designing and printing new products with the 3D printer. Pupils are teaching one another 3D design skills, creating games and apps and even working with companies to test products and provide feedback to help improve real devices, from balance boards to new versions of the GoChess smart chess board, which we are working to adapt into a multi-game platform. A range of other clubs, including Mini Coders, Minecraft Coding and Arcade Game Creation, are also helping children develop confidence in coding and digital creativity.
In assemblies with Years 3 to 6, Mr Lang has talked to the children about ‘A Brief History of Lying’ to look at the ways humans (and animals) have communicated with (and manipulated) one another throughout history and why key rules in our Acceptable Use Agreement (Be Careful, Be Kind, Tell Somebody) have applied from cave paintings to deepfakes.
Throughout all of this, the thread running through innovation at Caterham Prep is clear: investigation, agency, creativity, understanding and safety. Whether in lessons, clubs or wider school life, we want children to feel confident as problem-solvers, creators and innovators, ready for the world they are growing up in and for a future that is already here.
