Kingston pupils fix their way into the future with Team Repair

The Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames has completed its second year partnering with Team Repair, a London-based startup on a mission to tackle throwaway culture by teaching the next generation how to fix things rather than bin them.

Across the 2025-26 academic year, 220 repair kits were deployed across three schools - reaching 134 students at Grand Avenue Primary School, Tiffin Girls' School, Alexandra Primary School, and a special careers workshop for SEND learners.

The results speak for themselves. 68.35% of students are now more likely to fix something - with girls leading the charge at 77.36%. Furthermore, 45.57% of students expressed an increased interest in science and tech careers, and 37.97% in green careers.

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Councillor Nicola Nardelli, Portfolio Holder for Sustainable Transport, Waste and Recycling, said:

“It’s fantastic to see young people getting involved and learning the joy and benefit of repairing items rather than considering them broken and disposable. This approach shows greater awareness of the benefits of a circular economy and a sustainable approach to the way we live in our borough. We do not need to live in a throw away culture.

It is also encouraging to see that the new skills gained by the pupils resulted in an increased interest in pursuing green and technology careers. The sooner we see these interests develop, alongside passion and motivation to learn more, the greater chance they have for robust careers.”

Anaïs Engelmann, co-founder of Team Repair, said:

"Kingston has been an incredible partner to grow this programme with. For a lot of these students, this is their first time ever opening up a piece of technology and understanding how it works. This partnership has allowed us to bring that experience to local children who otherwise may not have had the chance. With results improving year on year, we're really excited for Year 3.”

Teachers were equally enthusiastic. One teacher at Alexandra Primary School gave the programme a perfect 10 out of 10, saying the experience gave pupils "cultural capital and a sense of pride" while allowing some to pick up a screwdriver for the first time. 

View the full impact report here.

Team Repair is now planning a third year with Kingston, aiming to deepen the programme further and reach more students across the borough. For any schools interested, please contact anais@team.repair.

About Team Repair

Team Repair designs hands-on repair kits and school programmes that teach children how electronics work - and how to fix them. Founded by Design Engineers from Imperial College London, the company works with schools, councils, and corporate partners across the UK to build repair literacy from the ground up. Find out more at www.team.repair.