St Vincent's VC Academy pupils enjoy lesson on sewer blockages – with support from LEGO robots

Pupils at St Vincent's Voluntary Catholic Academy recently took part in a Yorkshire Water-led session on sewer blockages, aided by personalised LEGO robots. 

The session was part of a wider education-programme, which is the first of its kind in the water sector, aiming to teach children what can cause blockages in the sewer network through the Blockage Buster Challenge. 

During the lesson, the children worked in teams and put their science and engineering skills to the test by building a LEGO robot and programming it to travel around a map tackling blockages caused by wet wipes incorrectly flushed down toilets, and fats, oils and greases disposed of down sinks rather than into kitchen bins. 

The school's therapy dog, George, joined in on the lesson to provide a calm environment where students feel more relaxed and eager to learn. 

James Hermann, teacher at St Vincent’s VC Academy, said: “It was such a good session. As a teacher of 20 years' experience, I thought it was one of the best sessions I have seen for a long time.” 

St Vincent's VC Academy was selected for the programme as part of the Living with Water partnership between Yorkshire Water, Hull City Council, East Riding of Yorkshire Council and the Environment Agency. The partnership aims to help build understanding of the threats and opportunities water brings to the region. 

Anne Reed, social value and education manager at Yorkshire Water, said: “Blockages cost millions of pounds to remove every year, but we're hopeful that by offering an engaging lesson, the message of what should and shouldn’t be put down the toilet or sink will stick with the children and make its way into their homes. 

“At each of the LEGO Education sessions, we find that the children are passionate about the natural world and want to do what they can to protect it. It’s a very valuable exercise for us to work with the children to influence the wider community.”