In 2025 our annual LOOK DRAW BUILD programme was extended to 14 classes across 9 Bristol primary schools. We reached some 420 children, mainly in year 5. We were encouraged to make this stretch by the Network Rail Western Route Crime and Security team we have worked with since 2022. It was particularly appropriate to take on this challenge in the year which marked the 200th Anniversary of the founding of the Modern Railway. Funding for the Bristol leg of the Project was provided by the Royal Academy of Engineering (£4,400) and Network Rail (£3,000).
The schools we worked with ranged across the city of Bristol; 2 Mile Hill in the East, Badocks Wood in the North East, Our Lady of the Rosary in the North West by Avonmouth, Sea Mills and Stoke Bishop to the West, Compass Point in the South and Cotham Gardens, Christ Church, St Peter and St Paul in North Centre.
The programme in Bristol started in April when GWR’s Senior Accessibility Manager took the classes around Bristol Temple Meads station to learn; what comprises a railway station, safety on the railway and how to navigate a big station. After this the children, working in their groups of three, were tasked with drawing a design of the station that they planned to build.
The programme of morning Station building workshops in classes started on 6 May with a single class at Badocks Wood Primary ending on 20 May with three classes at Two Mile Hill Primary. Once the children have built their models the schools are asked to selected the ones they want to represent each participating class. The teachers’ send us reports about each the selected models.
The workshops were delivered by Bristol based STEM ambassadors from the supporting engineering companies; Ridge & Partners (4) , Mott Macdonald (5), Enerveo (2) , Stantec (4) and Network Rail Western Route (5) and members of Reading Civic Society (5) who travelled to Bristol to lead the workshops.
On the afternoon of Thursday 5 June an Assessment Panel met to review the models selected by each class. The Panel was formed of professional engineers, architects and representatives from supporting companies. To add to the history of the event they met in a room attached to Mr Brunel’s original Boardroom in the Engine Shed at Bristol Temple Meads Station.
They started by reviewing the teacher’s summaries of the 13 selected models which had been submitted. Then, for the first time in the LDB project, they had the opportunity to view the model stations which were on show in “Platform 14” of the Engine Shed – the LDB team had collected 12 of the models (1 had been destroyed) from the schools earlier in the day. They then assessed each model using 8 criteria (effective layout, creativity, innovation & originality, structural stability, consideration of safety, responding to sustainably & accessibility, demonstration of critical thinking & problem-solving, link with the teams original drawings and the teacher’s assessment). Being able to see the models enabled the panel to have a far better understanding of them and their features.
In the early evening we held our first Awards Night event. This was attended by 62 people, including 40 parents/ teachers and children from five of the participating schools. We were delighted to welcome from the Lieutenancy of the City and County of Bristol, Mr Stephen Parsons MBE DL, and from the SS Great Britain Mr Isambard Kingdom Brunel (played by Ryan Sanders). Also Bernadette Sachse, the Station Manager of Reading and Bristol Temple Meads stations.
On arrival everyone had the opportunity to view all the models and also to have some refreshments, so the children swooped on the food.
Then it was to The Junction for a briefing about the project and announcements of the winners. Mr Parsons DL welcomed everyone on behalf of the Lord Lieutenant and explained about the Lieutenancy and also his interest in the project. Mr Brunel then explained about his vision of travel from the centre of London to New York by way of Great Western Railway and SS Great Britain. Others speaking included key members from Network Rail who explained why they wanted the project to come to Bristol, GWR on why the project is important to GWR and a Partner from Ridge & Partners who explained what the STEM ambassadors got out of the project and what they gave back to it. We gave a big thank you to the children for their teamwork and problem solving which they had mastered in a very short time and with simple materials. Mr Brunel then announced the results; Gold to Our Lady of the Rosary, Silver to Sea Mills and Bronze to 2 Mile Hill.
Class 6B at Cotham Gardens Primary School made a brilliant model, with a great submission by the teacher, however in their enthusiasm they had continued to build after the morning workshop and used added material ( we need to be clearer about this next year). It was probably 4 times bigger and more intricate in its details than any other (see below). We gave them Highly Commended.
The Panel members do not know which school completed which model when they are judging. Interestingly the winning models came from schools which we were told are in the more economically challenged parts of Bristol.
Each of the winning classes were given a plaque and books on architecture, engineering and the history of the railways. The Gold Award class received a visit to SS Great Britain funded by the project, which it took up in October. We are pleased that we received such good feedback from the school about the visit.
During the Awards Night we received very positive comments from parents and teachers about the overall LDB project and the experience it had given the children and also given the volunteers. The teacher from Cotham Gardens, who made the oversized model, was a little less positive “you should have made it clear we were not to keep going”……. which we took on board.
The event was advertised on the Railway 200 Website. We returned the models back to the schools the morning after the awards night.
Credit; Photos of school visit to Bristol Temple Meads and in class R Bennett -Chair Reading Civic Society. Photos of Awards Night in Brunel’s original Station by Chris Forsey.