Independent schools are seeing the benefits of investing in vocational subjects for the future, writes Anne Cuthbertson

Schools are recognising vocational subjects are where some pupils talents lie beyond the traditional. Relating to practical studies associated with a particular occupation or career path, find out how vocational subjects are being handled at Gresham, Benenden and Belmont Preparatory School.

Vocational subjects at Gresham’s
Gresham’s

Build it and they will come. The Dyson STEAM Building, which opened at Gresham?s School in 2021, has notably increased activity in science, technology, engineering, art and maths.

Following a £18.75m donation by former pupil Sir James Dyson, the new building houses facilities which have boosted extracurricular STEAM activities, enabling pupils to discover new ways of working. They?ve built VEX robots; used chemistry experiments to paint; designed, built and raced electric cars, and even used computing to code a character for a drama performance. Gresham’s

?The Dyson Building provides space for pupils to complete remarkable projects,? says Tim Hipperson, deputy head academic at the co-ed boarding school. ?As well as offering inspiring classrooms, it has encouraged pupils to think creatively about science projects, robotics, computer science and maths. In 3D design, the pupils have explored and created pieces of outstanding quality. We held a STEAM careers fair here earlier in the year, and the Eleph...