A Weekly Digest for UK STEM Educators | April 22, 2025

Welcome back, teachers! As the school term rolls forward and the exam season looms, there's a lot stirring across the education sector. From policy shifts to union movements, the past week has delivered fresh debates and some striking insights into the challenges and innovations shaping our classrooms. If you're a STEM educator in the UK, here's what you should know.

🧮 Maths Returns to the Spotlight (Again)

The TES Magazine flagged a renewed emphasis on mathematics in schools, tied to government efforts to raise standards across STEM. But all’s not smooth—teachers are still battling with insufficient training time and a need for better curriculum coherence. Despite the drive for numeracy, many pupils still struggle due to inconsistent delivery or gaps in foundational knowledge.

"We're seeing maths climb the priority list again—but fixing deep-rooted delivery issues is no small feat."

🧠 New Research on Teaching Assistants (EEF)

The Education Endowment Foundation (EEF) released new guidance on the effective use of teaching assistants (TAs) on April 22. With a STEM lens, this matters a lot—many science and maths classrooms rely on TAs to support differentiation and practical work. The guidance emphasises scaffolding for independence, so TAs aren’t just support staff but catalysts for autonomous learning.

🎼 Music, STEM and Staff Shortages

In a piece that's surprisingly relevant to STEM, TES explored music education’s current staffing crisis (April 17). It links to broader teacher shortages in subject-specific areas—think physics and computing. Creative strategies, including interdisciplinary lessons blending science with music, are being trialled in some schools.

📱 Teachers Call for AI Oversight and Pay Fairness

Over at Schools Week, the NEU (National Education Union) is pushing back hard against CEO-level pay within academy trusts and is ramping up its campaign for fairer teacher salaries. STEM departments—often under extra pressure due to equipment-heavy needs—could benefit if school budgets shift from executive bonuses to classroom resources.

At the same time, the Sky News Education section covered concerns around AI and misogynistic content affecting boys in schools. This has direct links to online STEM learning, coding communities, and gaming platforms where attitudes form early.

🏫 Faith Schools and Gender Segregation Case

In a case reported by Schools Week, the head of a faith school has been banned after staff segregation policies came to light. While not STEM-specific, it opens discussions on inclusivity and gender in subject choices—a big deal when girls are still underrepresented in computing and physics.

🍽️ Schools Providing Microwaves and Bedding?

Yes, really. Another Schools Week story highlighted schools stepping in to meet basic family needs—including providing microwaves and bedding. STEM teachers know that Maslow beats Bloom; you can’t teach algorithms or Newton’s laws when kids are cold or hungry.

📣 From the FE Sector: Strikes and Student Needs

FE Week reported that SEND learners have received a lifeline as a college threatened with closure is saved by The Big Issue. Meanwhile, absenteeism in FE has worsened, especially since COVID, with new data highlighting gaps in attendance.

STEM pathways like apprenticeships and T Levels are heavily reliant on steady attendance and support—issues that demand a coordinated national response.

📋 Ofsted in the Firing Line (Again)

Both TES and Schools Week reported a tidal wave of dissatisfaction from educators over Ofsted’s report card reforms. Key concerns? The five-point grading system feels reductive and fails to reflect the nuance of subjects like science or computing, where assessment must capture process as much as outcome.

🧠 Reflections for STEM Teachers

1. Could STEM be made more inclusive through TA deployment?

The EEF’s scaffolding recommendations suggest that TAs can play a critical role in helping disadvantaged pupils thrive in subjects like physics and maths. How might you train or guide TAs to support these disciplines more effectively?

2. How might poverty be quietly affecting your lab work?

Stories about schools supplying microwaves underscore the deep levels of need among students. Are you seeing signs that students lack food, rest, or home support that could impact participation in experiments or revision?

3. Is AI shaping your pupils’ behaviour or beliefs?

From Sky’s reporting on misogyny in schools, there’s growing awareness of AI’s influence on student worldviews. Could STEM teachers play a larger role in helping students develop critical digital literacy skills?

4. Do current inspections measure what really matters in STEM?

The dissatisfaction with Ofsted’s new system calls for a grassroots response. What would a meaningful inspection of your STEM department look like? What evidence would you want to present?

That's it for this week! Stay tuned for more updates next week. 

Note: This blog post is an AI curated summary of news articles from various sources. The aim is to provide educators with a comprehensive overview of recent developments in the education sector. All hyperlinks direct readers to the original news articles for further reading.