The impact of inter-year group interaction: Year 7 students design customised marble runs for Foundation Stage ‘clients’

The Marble Run Expo at St Andrews is a unique opportunity for inter-year group interaction between Primary School and High School students. As part of their Design Technology curriculum, Year 7 students were tasked with a meaningful design challenge: to create a personalised marble run for a very special client: a student from Foundation Stage!

Before building began, Foundation Stage 3 (FS3) students shared their interests, from favourite animals to colours and shapes. Working in small teams, the students embraced real-world roles like Project Manager and Lead Designer, gaining practical experience in leadership, project planning, and problem-solving to bring their younger clients’ visions to life. Year 7 students used Computer-Aided Design (CAD) software to plan their structures before constructing them with 3D printing, MDF wood, and recyclable materials.

The big reveal was a joyful celebration. FS3 students visited the High School to see their custom marble runs in action, and the reactions were a delight to witness. Varying in size, design, and scope, the marble runs featured unique decor elements such as lions, unicorns, and pink donuts; color stories; and impressive runs, some super long and others with funnels, spirals, and unexpected obstacles. The joy and pride on both sides were clear to see, with FS3 students thrilled by the creations and Year 7 teams glowing with a sense of accomplishment.

The Marble Run Expo highlights several key benefits of inter-year group interaction:

• Empathy and Active Listening: Year 7 students practiced listening deeply to their FS3 partners' ideas and translating them into meaningful design choices.
  
  

• Leadership Development: Taking responsibility for managing a project for a real “client” allowed older students to step into leadership roles with purpose.
  
  

• Confidence Building: Both FS3 and Year 7 students were empowered. The younger students by having their ideas taken seriously, and the older students by being seen as capable mentors and creators.
  
  

• Communication Across Ages: The collaboration helped strengthen communication skills, encouraging Year 7s to adjust their language and approach to suit younger peers.
  
  

• Learning opportunities: Year 7 students faced design challenges and worked together to find solutions, while the FS3 students felt inspired by the marble runs and incorporated some of the ideas into their marble runs in the Primary School.
  
  

• Community Building: Events like this reinforce a sense of unity and shared identity across the school, creating stronger bonds between campuses and age groups.

The impact of the event has reached beyond just the day itself. Ms Cassandra, Primary Teacher, commented, “The impact was incredible. My students implemented some of the ideas from the Year 7's marble runs into their new designs! It’s nice to see how events like this foster creativity and support cross-campus team building.”