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KSA students take part in Construction Engineering Festival

Students from Kettering Science Academy attended the Construction Engineering Festival hosted by Northampton College. This was a series of events held across the week to give young people a chance to experience different construction activities, listen to talks and discuss their future career and study options.

A team of eight students from Year 10 competed in the Big Rig challenge. This involved working on a three-storey scaffolding rig to harvest rainwater, pump it into a storage tank, pass it through a photo-thermal (solar) cell to heat the water and then use it to make a hot water shower work.

The team had to follow engineering design plans and use complex equipment in a safe and professional way to allow them to complete the challenge. Students developed their skills using wiring and plumbing systems that included making secure, leak proof joints. They were extremely pleased with their efforts when they successfully got the shower to work.

Project team leader Tom Smith said, ‘It was great to work with proper full-sized equipment to solve a real life problem and to have the support of the engineering staff from Northampton College to help and advise us along the way. We were really pleased with ourselves when we got the system to work properly.’