Reception
After making a bulb light up in the morning, and becoming more confident in their knowledge of electrical circuits, the boys built houses with lights upstairs and downstairs and added a switch to turn their lights on and off.

The boys also explored how to make the pitch of a sound change, making it higher and lower using water and rice.  They also looked at how to make a boat float.

After reading ‘The Three Little Pigs’ the boys went to The Thicket to build houses, before making some more back in the classroom using their own choice of materials, strong enough to withstand the puff of the big bad wolf (the fan).

Year 1
Year 1 boys were set a challenge to build a den that the entire class could fit in, with the requirement that it would be waterproof. The boys brought in things like umbrellas, sheets, towels and cardboard boxes. The boys looked at the materials and decide which would be the best to use.

Working together, the boys developed clever strategies to protect their chosen den areas in the Thicket,  one pupil guarded their tree while his friends collected materials, and another pulled together a team of three to collect sticks.

The boys had great fun but unfortunately the rain did come... in the form of Mrs Holder. Both classes achieved a shelter that would fit all the children in.  A fantastic victory dance saw 1G celebrate that they stayed dry and solved their problem, however... a few of 1Y were left feeling a bit soggy.

Miss Morris and Mrs Griffiths then made a structure that the Year 1 boys had to copy in the afternoon.  The boys in pairs created the same structure .. the same size bricks, the same colour, the same order, the same height .. everything had to be the same. They did so well!  The boys also had to work out how to use primary colours to make secondary colours in a mixing pallet.  Some tough thinking for 5/6 year olds!

Year 2
The boys were given a giant alphabet floor puzzle in their library lesson and asked to complete it in the quickest time possible. There was a lot of "loud" discussion and confusion on their first attempt, but after some reflection, a more team based strategy was decided upon and 40 seconds was knocked off their time on the second attempt!

Year 3
How do you measure your desk without a ruler?  Our creative thinkers in Year 3 used all sorts of implements from shoes and cushions to bodies!

Year 4
Year 4 were faced with the "problem" of creating a display on their History topic of Ancient Egypt. They sorted themselves into groups, decided on the format, style and content of their poster. The boys worked collaboratively on their research on Chromebooks and used their own History books and a selection from the library. They were inspired by their recent visit to Highclere Castle and were soon hard at work!

Year 4 also were setting the task to build their own Lunar Theme Park! With some very creative results. Over in the Sports Hall the boys were faced with some GIANT maths challenges including super sized sudoku and colossal connect 4! In teams the boys had to think logically and apply knowledge to solve the puzzles.

Year 5
Year 5 enjoyed a variety of activities during problem solving week. They went  orienteering around the school grounds using grid references to locate riddles they need to decipher as a team. They baked cakes using only a microwave and created their own crosswords. Their mathematical skills were put to the test,  when they had to design a dinosaur park and when they had to work out how many seeds per meter square they needed for plants their new garden area.

Year 6
The boys took part in a micro:bit workshop by Microsoft. Their challenge was so unusual it made the papers and you can read all about it here. They also built structures, bridges and had a tug of war against staff!

Full problem solving gallery