A specialist school in Alsager has celebrated a science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) day with a series of engaging, hands-on activities designed to teach pupils all about construction and explore the benefits and issues around plastics.

Church Lawton School, which supports 86 autistic children aged between four and 19 years old, is part of Liberty Academy Trust.

The STEM day featured a wide range of activities tailored to secondary students in Key Stages three, four and five. Pupils learnt about plastic, its uses and the negative environmental impact it can have, while key stage four pupils focused on construction. 

A highlight of the day was students designing and building a free-standing structure, going through the whole construction process from design, evaluation, scale model production and ultimately the construction of their own design. 

The structures were made out of 1 metre-long sticks, with the biggest structure standing at 4.1 metres high.

Throughout the day, students took part in presentations with members of staff, learning about the various skills and careers based around STEM.

Paul Scales, principal at Church Lawton School, said: "Our STEM day was a big success, engaging pupils of all different ages. From the academic to the practical, through to careers advice, the day offered students a lot to learn and think about and I know they got a huge amount out of it.

"Especially for our older students, these discussions of careers, and how subjects like STEM interact with them, is invaluable."

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Church Lawton School opened in 2015 as a free school for autistic children, supporting pupils aged four to 19 from across East Cheshire, Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent.

The purpose-built school specialises in autism education, with small class sizes and staff trained to support pupils' individual needs.