Science - Technology - Engineering - Maths
Click Here to visit our dedicated CCHS STEM Learning Hub
To enhance the STEM experiences of all of our students we will be welcoming numerous STEM Ambassadors throughout the year. Engineers and Designers from prominent technology companies will be talking about their work, advising students on career pathways into the technology sector and helping with our numerous STEM projects.
Formula 24+ CCHS Racing Team
In 2015 we embarked on a new venture with the ‘CCHS Formula 24 Racing Team’, initally sponsored by Comus Engineering Europe, based in Thorpe-le-Soken. The electric racing car was built by the Sixth Form STEM students, who worked tirelessly on its construction and testing. All their hard work culminated in an opportunity to race against other schools’ cars. Over the years, various teams of students have built a further two F24 cars whilst adapting the other cars, making them more aerodynamic to achieve better efficiency and obviously to go faster, at the same time! They have adapted gearing, upgraded the drive motors and replaced numerous other components along with adding a new aerodynamic outer shells.
Our Formula 24 Race team kicked off their 10th race season with one of their best race day performances. The team were back in action after spending the winter redesigning and testing to help maximise the performance of the teams’ two cars. As the sun rose on the hottest day of the year so far, the team were already preparing for a great day of racing at the at the Lotus Cars test track in Norfolk. Not daunted by the early start, the team were full of anticipation after having completed their busiest pre-season testing schedule, including track testing at the Colchester Northern Gateway. After finishing last season on cloud-nine, with a 5th place finish at the Ford Dunton test track last July, the team were ready to start this year’s series of races with another top performance. The team currently have two Formula 24 racing cars: Andromeda and Neptune, but were only racing the newer car, Andromeda, last weekend. Well done to our new CCHS drivers, Josh and Lukas; both proved to be magnificent behind the wheel, overtaking a number of cars on their debut. It was a great day for Team CCHS, finishing 5th overall out of 32 cars in their class.
The Clacton County High School STEM racing team is now established as one of the top teams in the Greenpower Formula 24 competition, not just in the UK but also internationally; the annual competition attracts race teams from over eighteen countries from around the world. Well done to the whole CCHS team – drivers and pit crew - Thomas, Josh, Robyn, Dominic, Lucas, Sam, Logan, Daniel, Kevin, Alfie and Nathan, along with the staff support team for giving up their Sunday. It was great to see the CCHS race team all supporting the drivers during the races and helping prepare the car before and in-between the races. Many thanks to all the team’s current sponsors, Pickering Electronics, Pinnacle Group and Tridan Engineering, without whose support we could not continue to offer such a fantastic opportunity to our students.
CCHS STEM ROV Submarine
Over recent years 
our STEM activities have been enhanced with the construction of an underwater Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV); an unmanned submarine. Initially they 'flew' the ROV in our swimming pool before venturing into open water. Our CCHS STEM team also linked up with Harwich Haven Authority who provided the team with radar, ultrasound and geological scans of all the wrecks located off the Essex/Suffolk Coast along with a history of each wreck and their condition on the last inspection. They have also gave permission for the CCHS STEM ROV team to fly over the wreck of HMS Amphion, an Active-class Scout cruiser which was the first Royal Navy ship of the First World War to be sunk, after it hit a mine seven miles off shore from Harwich on the 6th August 1914. The team had hoped to supply the Harwich Haven Authority and the Harwich Society with the first filmed images of the wreck since it was sunk; unfortunately this was ultimatly not possible.
STEM Links into Other Subjects
The ROV project is also much broader than just the STEM disciplines as the CCHS ROV activities will also link into History Geography and Geology. Students from across the school used the data provided by the Harwich Haven Authority to understand the history of HMS Amphion and helped plan the dive to the Royal Navy wreck. These exciting initiatives provide opportunities that are not normally available to students and we are extremely grateful to the providers.