Getting an insight into the world of gaming

Speakers for School in partnership with Game Academy organised Game Academy Bootcamp; a virtual work experience programme to learn about careers in software, graphic design, data analytics, game design and digital marketing.

All those taking part got the chance to meet people in the industry and take part in quests and team challenges to develop skills.

Six students who had expressed an interest in games and gaming were registered on the programme which combined talks from speakers from the game industry with tasks and challenges. Four students aged between 14 and 19 worked on the team challenge over the course of the week and presented to professionals from the game industry. Their team name was Goblin Gang.

They overcame a number of challenges including working on the hottest day on record, and created their own artwork for the presentation. The students demonstrated and practiced skills essential for the world of work such as team working, negotiating, working to deadlines, public speaking, problem solving and being inclusive.

Impressed

They all took part in the presenting and then answered detailed questions about their presentation. Sutherland House School was the only special school at this Gaming Academy Bootcamp, and many of the other students involved were studying for their A Levels. Reasonable adjustments were made to accommodate the needs of the students, such as allowing them to take breaks when needed, and to form a school based team.

However, the judges made no special allowances when judging the presentations and offering feedback. Judges said that they were very impressed by the presentation. The detailed original artwork meant that they felt they were within the game. They were also impressed by the depth of knowledge on display and the way the Sutherland House School students responded to questions in a way that demonstrated a high level of maturity, particularly when expressing disagreement with a judge’s opinion. Goblin Gang was placed third in the competition out of eight, with individual prizes going to two of students for Growth Mindset.

Overall this was a very positive experience for the students involved. Every student had a first that they could talk about, whether that was public speaking, or negotiating with other team members to find a consensus. The hope is that the students have grown in self confidence, and they continue to challenge themselves and grow.