Junior Headteacher's Blog: Dare To Be Different

School curriculum subjects have hardly changed in 100 years, yet it is an area that constantly needs revision. As a leader of a forward-thinking girls’ school, I felt it was important to seize the opportunity to be brave. Therefore, an area I have chosen to develop in our school curriculum is Engineering.

I believe that any leadership decisions need to be based on pedagogical research and the belief that it will make a positive impact on our girls' education. Teaching engineering skills, particularly in a junior setting, has powerful benefits for their cognitive, social, and emotional development. At this age, engineering isn’t about complex maths or technical theory — it’s about problem-solving, creativity, and understanding how the world works. All fundamental parts of learning.

By the time today’s junior school pupils enter the workforce, problem-solving, design thinking, and STEM literacy will be essential. Early exposure helps broaden future interests, prevents gender stereotypes and nurtures technical confidence. Even if they don’t pursue engineering later, the skills transfer to every field.

1. Builds Strong Problem-Solving Skills

Engineering is about iterative learning. First prototypes rarely work properly and going back to the drawing board is a necessity to develop and improve a product. This iterative learning develops resilience and a mindset that views mistakes as part of learning, not failure. Research shows that "girls consistently experience higher rates of unhealthy" or "self-critical" perfectionism compared to boys. This frequently manifests as an overwhelming fear of failure, intense pressure to meet high academic and personal standards, and a tendency to hide mental distress.'"– Dyer, BYU Studies. Through our engineering lessons we can give our girls a safe space to explore taking risks, trying new things and demonstrate practically how we learn from our mistakes.

2. Boosts Creativity and Imagination

Engineering in a junior context involves hands-on making which naturally enhances creative thinking by turning abstract imagination into practical, hands-on problem-solving with real-world purposes. Jean Piaget (Piaget Rediscovered, 1964) believed that, "The principal goal of education is to create men who are capable of doing new things, not simply repeating what other generations have done." Encouraging learners to develop original solutions supports creativity, critical thinking and lifelong learning – all of which are crucial skills for navigating our complex and rapidly changing world.

3. Strengthens Core STEM Foundations

It exposes children to the “big ideas” behind science and maths. It helps girls to develop a practical understanding of how things work and why they are useful to us beyond the classroom setting. Understanding how forces, balance and movement can be harnessed and used in innovative ways. A girl's knowledge of shapes, her ability to measure or spot patterns all have a real-life application. And the fundamental scientific idea of cause and effect becomes something recognisable. This exposure at junior school helps make STEM learning at senior school more intuitive and less abstract.

4. Enhances Collaboration & Communication

During the junior years, children shift rapidly from ego-centric, parallel play toward highly social, structured peer activities. Vygotsky’s pedagogy highlights that collaborative group work is not just a social activity, but a cognitive accelerator. Engineering challenges are often done in pairs or groups and children learn to share ideas, negotiate, divide responsibilities as well as learning to articulate their thinking. These are essential future life skills — not just STEM skills.

5. Encourages Curiosity About How Things Work

“Curiosity is the engine of achievement."  This famous quote by educationalist Sir Ken Robinson  captures the vital role of wonder in the junior classroom and engineering makes everyday objects fascinating. At this developmental stage, children are transitioning from play-based exploration to more structured thinking, making curiosity the ultimate bridge for deeper learning. Children start asking deeper “why” and “how” questions: How does a bridge hold weight? How do wheels reduce friction? What makes a car go?

6. Supports Cross-Curricular Learning

Engineering naturally blends with other areas of the curriculum. "When children see meaningful connections between subjects, they become skilled in applying their learning to different problems and situations, and they have a more holistic experience of learning." - The Open University Guidance on Primary Case Studies.

The opportunities to make these links within an Engineering lesson are extensive, creating an environment where learning is richer and more interconnected:

• maths (measuring, calculating, geometry)

• science (forces, materials, energy)

• computing (coding simple robotics)

• art & design (prototyping, aesthetics)

• literacy (writing instructions, presenting designs)

Embracing opportunities to develop the curriculum is important as we educate girls for the jobs of the future. They may not end up as engineers, but the engineering curriculum is fundamentally about ensuring girls develop creativity, confidence, resilience, and powerful real-world problem-solving skills — laying foundations for lifelong learning and future success.

Mrs Anthea Newton