'Tinkering' children make robots, planes and catapults

Primary pupils in Manchester have been building robots, planes, vehicles and catapults, using their creativity and problem solving skills under a teaching approach dubbed "tinkering".

The Royal Academy of Engineering and University of Manchester have been working in schools for the past three years and have devised a curriculum which they say capitalises on children's natural engineering skills.

The latest EngineeringUK data indicates that the UK is facing an annual shortfall of up to 59,000 engineering graduates and technicians at level 3 or above to fill core engineering roles.