Case Study: The Primary Engineer ProtoTeam Experience at Edinburgh University
Introduction
The University of Edinburgh, School of Engineering, has partnered with Primary Engineer for many years helping deliver outreach to schools, teachers and pupils across the east of Scotland.
Through the Leaders Award competition and The Primary Engineer Programmes, the University has engaged with thousands of local children. Not only have they been a long-standing partner but they took it one step further by becoming a Primary Engineer® ProtoTeam, bringing a pupil’s engineering idea to life. This case study explores how the partnership with Primary Engineer has helped the School of Engineering expand their reach to more schools within the local area.
Why are they involved?
Dr Katie Grant, Outreach and Widening Participation Manager at the School of Engineering, oversees the ProtoTeam programme and works closely with the Primary Engineer team. “We have partnered with Primary Engineer because we really truly believe in why they do what they do. Research shows that kids have decided by age 11 if they can or can’t do something, so we think that the mission of Primary Engineer to get engineering into schools is so important, especially as engineering isn’t really part of the core curriculum yet.”
Katie’s comment is further supported by the 2023 Science Education Tracker, produced by Royal Society and Engineering Uk, which showed that there has been a decline in interest across science and engineering among young people.
This is why a core part of Primary Engineer® ProtoTeams is furthering the engagement between schools, pupils and our university and industry partners. From the tens of thousands of pupils who answer the question “If you were an engineer, what would you do?”, selected ideas go from paper to reality, in a journey of pure innovation. Students, technicians, graduates and apprentices incorporate the prototype into their studies and career development.
What has the experience been like?
When reflecting on the experience of the staff involved and from a university perspective, Katie said “Our technicians get a lot out of it, they love taking part and seeing the positive impact it has had on the school they work with and the child who has come up with the invention, then seeing the creation come to reality. It challenges them in their own design capacities whilst showcasing what they can do, and gives staff the opportunity to engage with and explain technical concepts to a school pupil which is a great way to improve communication skills.”
Primary Engineer facilitates connections between companies and schools, fostering local brand awareness and demystifying the engineering profession and, in The University of Edinburgh’s case, breaking down barriers about higher education as well as showcasing what the university has to offer in terms of facilities and capabilities.
Katie expanded to say “Through the prototype, we have been able to engage with pupils and their schools which means we can deliver outreach activities to more children. We not only engage with the ProtoPupil but also the whole class, it shows them from a young age that their ideas are important, and they matter.”
Pupil Designer, Libby, is one of these pupil’s actively engaging with the team of technicians at The University who are working with her to bring her engineering idea, the Benchbed, to life. When asked how she felt that her idea has been chosen and was being made into a prototype she said “ I think it’s really cool because I didn’t expect to be chosen and I think it’s a really good opportunity because hopefully it’ll get made and be able to help lots of people. I’ve been able to come to the University and I’ve been able to help with making it. And I think it’s just been really fun.”
When asked about her future career aspirations Libby mentioned being either an engineer or a fashion designer, maybe even merging the two, which is certainly possible with so much of engineering being cross-curricular and cross disciplinary.
The Benchbed prototype was officially unveiled at our Scotland South East regional award ceremony on 28th May 2025. After which applications open for the Primary Engineer® MacRobert Medal, a collaboration between The MacRobert Trust and Primary Engineer® supported by Weir Group and Christopher Ward to recognise the innovation and creativity of the next generation of engineers.
The School of Engineering submitted to the Primary Engineer MacRobert Medal in 2023 and achieved a Bronze medal for the Solar Powered Train prototype which would help the environment by using solar panels on top of the train to generate clean electricity. They also took home a Silver medal for the Shimmy, Shimmy Shower prototype which solved a real-world problem by making it easier for people to adjust the shower head when they can’t reach it.
Receiving these medals is testament to the dedication and passion of the School of Engineering’s technical and outreach teams, and also showcases the huge potential of young mindsThe MacRobert Medal serves as a reminder that fostering the spirit of engineering in the younger generation can lead to truly creative and original solutions.
Conclusion
ProtoTeams are encouraged to provide updates to Primary Engineer®, enabling a wider audience of schools, industry and the general public to also follow the build. Read the updates here.
Katie rounded off to say “The team at Primary Engineer are brilliant to work with! Their enthusiasm and passion for what they do is so evident and they make collaborating so easy. I also enjoy seeing all the happy pupils. ”
Huge thank you to the University of Edinburgh’s School of Engineering for sharing these valuable insights. If you have worked with us and want to share your experiences, contact us on marketing@Primaryengineer.com
If you want to learn more about how we deliver impactful outreach the Primary Engineer way, speak to us today.