Inspiring the Next Generation of Innovators at the Fab Lab

At ICT in Schools, our core mission is to equip young people across South Tyneside with the digital skills, confidence, and attainment they need to thrive in an ever-changing world.

Through our close collaboration with The Word (National Centre for the Written Word), we open the doors for schools, teachers, and pupils to step into the Fab Lab Space. Unlike traditional IT rooms, the Fab Lab is a high-tech, open-facing creative workshop where digital blueprints are transformed into physical reality.

“The Fab Lab is more than a room full of machinery; it’s an educational incubator where design-and-technology, art, mathematics, and computing converge into hands-on learning experiences.”

Discover how ICT in Schools connects classrooms with state-of-the-art digital design and manufacturing technology at The Word, South Shields.

High-Tech Equipment Available for School Projects

Introduce your students to the industrial tools shaping modern manufacturing. Every tool provides distinct opportunities to hit Computing and Design & Technology (D&T) curriculum targets.

3D Printers

  • How it applies to learning: Pupils use software like Tinkercad to create 3D models. The printer then translates these designs into real-world, layer-by-layer physical plastic models. Perfect for prototyping products, exploring geometry, and understanding additive manufacturing.

Laser Cutters

  • How it applies to learning: High-powered lasers cut or engrave intricate designs into wood, acrylics, and cardstock. Students see their vector designs sliced and etched instantly, making it an incredible tool for cross-curricular STEM and art projects.

Vinyl Cutters

  • How it applies to learning: Excellent for graphic design and school enterprise initiatives. Students can design custom signage, decals, or precision vinyl stencils that can be applied to glass, acrylics, or apparel.

T-Shirt Press

  • How it applies to learning: Merging digital art with textile technology. Pupils can design their own custom graphics and safely transfer them directly onto t-shirts, tote bags, or clothing—introducing concepts of fashion tech and retail marketing.

Sublimation Printing

  • How it applies to learning: A brilliant mix of graphic design, enterprise, and science! Using specialised inks and heat presses, students can transfer full-colour, high-definition digital artwork directly onto everyday items like mugs, water bottles, tote bags, and t-shirts.
  • From a scientific perspective, it introduces pupils to fascinating phase transitions (where solid ink turns directly into a gas to fuse with the material). From a business perspective, it is the ultimate tool for school enterprise projects, giving students hands-on experience in designing, manufacturing, and marketing their own custom-branded merchandise.

How Your School Can Get Involved

Whether you want to bring an entire class for an unforgettable educational visit or upskill your teaching staff, we have a pathway for you.

  1. Class Workshops & Visits
    • Bring your pupils out of the classroom and into a professional making space. We coordinate structured field trips during the school year where students can sketch, scan, and fabricate their own keyrings, coasters, or models to take home.
  2. Teacher CPD & Training
    • Don’t let the technology intimidate you! ICT in Schools offers bespoke training courses (such as Learning to Teach 3D Modelling with Tinkercad). Build your staff’s confidence to seamlessly integrate fabrication tech into your weekly curriculum.
  3. Community & Holiday Activities
    • The Fab Lab isn’t just for school hours. We signpost regular family drop-in sessions, weekend events, and holiday clubs run at The Word, giving young people from South Tyneside a platform to pursue creative technical hobbies. https://theworduk.org/whats-on/

https://theworduk.org/explore/fablab

Contact us for more information [email protected]