Members' Blogs

Weekly news round up: 23/04/24

By Tim Bradbury posted 2 days ago

This week, UK's education sector has witnessed several significant developments, focusing primarily on pressing issues such as educational access, technology integration, and teacher welfare. We've compiled the most noteworthy stories from various educational news platforms to provide a comprehensive update for STEM educators and enthusiasts. News Highlights Increased Free Childcare Places The UK government's recent pledge to dramatically increase free childcare places has been featured prominently in discussions across several outlets, including the BBC and Sky News. This initiative aims to support working families and has been termed "really ambitious" ...

Meeting scientists, developing knowledge and becoming a better teacher. Jon Hale on the SAPS teachers' summer school

By Mary Howell posted 3 days ago

The Hawkhills venue for the Summer School. Credit: Jon Hale. In 2022 I was fortunate enough to attend the SAPS Plant Science Summer School in York. It was a fantastic experience, and despite the plethora of online opportunities nothing can replace this in-person CPD. There were only 6 teachers present, running in parallel to the undergraduate summer school over three and a half days. Like many biology teachers, I come from a biomedical background, plant science was not a strength of mine, and that’s why I am truly grateful for the opportunity. The intensive summer school is effectively a “zero to hero” course, taking you on a journey to become competent ...

Why you should join the thousands of teachers becoming a STEM Learning Professional Development Leader

By Paul Thornton posted 8 days ago

Why not join the thousands of teachers and former teachers in becoming a STEM Learning Professional Development Leader (PDL)? There are so many personal and professional benefits to becoming a PDL– such as truly giving back to the profession while developing a rich career path that draws upon your classroom experience – and your school and/or trust will feel the positive impact too! It’s ideal for experienced teachers who want to move their subject forward and develop a twin-track career. The STEM Learning Professional Development Leadership programme supports teachers to gain the highly respected CPD Quality Mark ...

Weekly news round up: 16/04/24

By Tim Bradbury posted 9 days ago

Hi folks! Before we get into the weekly news round-up we have some exciting news to share... WE ARE THE COMMUNITY OF THE YEAR: STEM Community wins ‘Community of the Year’ in Higher Logic’s Super Forum 2024 Customer Awards. Huge thanks to all of our members, you all contributed to this awesome achievement! https://www.stem.org.uk/all-news/stem-community-wins-community-of-the-year Stemming the Tide: A Week in UK Education The past week has seen a whirlwind of activity in the education sector across the UK. This long-read blog offers a digest of the most notable stories and their implications for STEM teachers, albeit with broader educational insights. ...

Using BBC micro:bits to support learning outdoors

By Rachel Jackson posted 9 days ago

Posted on behalf of Daryn Maginnis, Vice Principal, Downpatrick Primary School Picture the scene: a busy school playground where pupils are playing, laughing, and having fun. Amid this excitement, a group of learners are taking part in an activity to gather data on their movement. This is exactly what my class was doing last summer. They wanted to answer the question: what is the average number of steps taken in the playground during break and lunch times? It was part of an investigation about the human body and health which involved children using their micro:bit devices alongside laptops to create pedometers. The children wanted a way to accurately track ...

GCSE mathematics resits - what's the problem, and what can be done about it?

By Will Vince posted 10 days ago

In light of the Government's ongoing consultation about The Advanced British Standard and compulsory maths education to 18, STEM Learning have been reflecting on the current GCSE resit policy and how our interventions have supported young people. The Challenge Since August 2015, students who fail to achieve a grade 4 or above in GCSE Mathematics have been required to resit the subject. This continues until the student has either achieved a grade 4 or above or has left full-time education. Achieving a grade 4 in GCSE Mathematics is essential for many post-secondary routes; it is an entry requirement for most undergraduate courses as well as most apprenticeships. ...

Adapting the Teach Computing Curriculum - Creating Media

By Catherine Elliott posted 10 days ago

Hopefully you read my last blog on Adapting the Data & Information units in the Teach Computing Curriculum for learners with special educational needs and disabilities, plus other specific learning needs. I am often asked how to make the curriculum more accessible for learners with additional learning needs or sensory difficulties, and the Teacher Guidance documents for KS1 and KS2 are going to be updated shortly with some broad principles on how to adapt the materials for SEND. Today I'm going to look at some examples of adapting the Creating Media strand of the curriculum, and I will be starting a discussion in the community forum for you to share ...

STEM Community wins ‘Community of the Year’ in Higher Logic’s Super Forum 2024 Customer Awards

By Steve Castle posted 10 days ago

A massive thank you to everyone who has joined STEM Community since its launch three years ago – you've all played a huge part in it being recognised as ‘Community of the Year’ in Higher Logic's Super Forum 2024 Customer Awards ! STEM Community was set up to be a safe, professional space for teachers, TA's and technicians of STEM subjects to share ideas and best practice, resources and support each other with everything from wellbeing tips to pedagogy – ultimately improving lives through STEM education.  Over the last three years, it’s grown rapidly and now features more than 25,000 members and many groups buzzing with discussions, collaboration, key ...

Think outside of the box with our summer science forums!

By Louise Herbert posted 14 days ago

As a teacher , I c an’ t help but be impressed and inspired by seeing how senior doctors work together to discuss cutting edge treatments and diagnoses in their speciality. Often, they are p ushing the boundaries and working outside of existing guidelines for patients who may really need urgent help and for who m normal approaches are difficult. This will sometimes be in the form of a symposium on a certain topic that brings together doctors from across the country fr o m a variety of settings. In contrast, e ducation CPD or teacher events can frequently be aimed at topics where ...

Developing augmented reality products - new STEM Learning digital skills course

By Simon Roberts posted 15 days ago

Imagine the possibility of crafting an artificial environment that seamlessly integrates digital information with the user's real-time surroundings. This is precisely what augmented reality (AR) enables us to achieve! Have you started teaching augmented reality yet? While teaching augmented reality (AR) may be a relatively fresh concept for some in the education sector, including myself until recently, OCR has taken the lead by integrating augmented reality into one of their Level 2 qualifications. L aunched in September 2022, the Cambridge Nationals Level 1/2 IT qualification features a mandatory unit in which students must ...

Royal Society of Chemistry Education Prizes 2024

By Steve Castle posted 16 days ago

Do you know someone in education who deserves recognition? The Royal Society of Chemistry Education prizes are part of a prestigious portfolio of annual awards for the chemical sciences community. Our Education prizes recognise individuals and teams doing great things in their classrooms. They are leading by example in all sorts of ways, including: designing innovative and effective science curricula making a step-change in science education through new initiatives, programmes or technologies engaging pupils through practical science championing inclusion and diversity in science education supporting the development of colleagues ... to name a ...

Weekly news round up: 09/04/24

By Tim Bradbury posted 16 days ago

This overview aims to provide a comprehensive yet concise reading experience, reflecting on recent developments in the educational sector, and stimulating thought on how these might affect teaching practices and student engagement in STEM subjects. Key News Stories 1. The Impact of Sure Start Centres on GCSEs ( BBC ) A recent study highlights the positive effect of living near a Sure Start centre on students' GCSE outcomes. Researchers suggest that proximity to these centres correlates with improved grades, hinting at the broader impact of community resources on academic achievement. 2. Examining the Role of Mobile Phones in School Sexism ( BBC ) ...

UK Junior Water Prize open for entries

By Steve Castle posted 20 days ago

The UK Junior Water Prize challenges young people in STEM to develop innovative yet practical solutions to our global water crisis. The winning UK entry receives £1,000 in cash plus the opportunity to go on an all-expenses paid trip to represent the UK and their school at the Stockholm Junior Water Prize competition in Sweden, with a chance to win the cash award of US$15,000 ! Minimum entry requirements Aged 15-20 Based in the UK In secondary education when research was conducted Max. 2 co-applicants Do you work with STEM students who meet the above requirements? We have an outreach hub to help you talk about UKJWP! ...

CyberEPQ Engagement Survey

By Steve Castle posted 29 days ago

The Cyber Skills Policy team at the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology in partnership with The Chartered Institute of Information Security (CIISec) are carrying out a survey to help inform government policy thinking and decision-making. This survey is for teachers and/or leadership staff working in schools/colleges, who teach young people aged 16-18. It asks questions about the Cyber Extended Project Qualification (EPQ) in order to provide a better insight into engagement with the Cyber Extended Project Qualification (EPQ).     This survey will help DSIT understand why teachers choose to deliver or not deliver this qualification and ...

STEM outreach from the Intellectual Property Office

By Ajay Sharman posted 30 days ago

We wanted to tell you about some of the great science outreach work we are doing at the Intellectual Property Office (IPO) and share details for our exciting new video going live this week. The IPO not only serves as the official UK government body overseeing intellectual property rights, encompassing patents, designs, trademarks, and copyright, but also actively engages with schools and universities to showcase this work. Aligned with the GSE Strategy, IPO initiated a STEM outreach program to help with this aim. This initiative mobilised a passionate team of volunteers, primarily consisting of patent examiners who hold degrees focused on STEM disciplines. ...

Weekly news round up: 26/03/24

By Tim Bradbury posted 30 days ago

Hey there, STEM educators and curious minds! 🌟 We've had quite a week in the world of education, haven't we? From college cuts to ground-breaking educational trials, the news is buzzing with stories that touch the very core of what we do in the classroom. So, grab your cup of coffee, and let's dive into the updates from the past week, March 20th to 26th, 2024. I promise to keep it light, insightful, and yes, a tad less formal. Breaking Down the Barriers in Education First up, we've got a situation brewing over the college cuts in Scotland, hinting at a rocky road ahead for widening access to higher education. The BBC shared a piece that's got us ...

EEF funded trial of PSQM…so what?!

By Kathryn Horan posted 25-03-2024

Any primary science leaders reading this have probably heard of the Primary Science Quality Mark (PSQM) and many of you will have embarked on the year long development journey yourselves. What you may not know is that the Education Endowment Foundation is funding an independent evaluation of the PSQM which will allow 342 eligible schools in selected areas to complete the one-year CPD programme for free in either 2024 or 2026, instead of the usual cost of £950. As this evaluation is an RSC (random control trial) 342 schools will take part in total, with data about the impact on children’s science learning collected from all schools. 171 schools will be allocated ...

STEM Learning's response to The Advanced British Standard consultation

By Michael Anderson posted 25-03-2024

In December 2023, the government launched a consultation to help shape the development of the Advanced British Standard (ABS) – which would replace the existing structures of A and T levels. The ABS would offer students more choice in their post-16 education and increase the number of subjects that they study. Additionally, the number of hours taught would increase and all students would be required to study Mathematics and English up to the age of 18. The new standard aims to better prepare young people for employment, higher education, and life. STEM Learning supports the ambition to reform and improve ...

Weekly news round up: 19/3/24

By Tim Bradbury posted 19-03-2024

Welcome to this week's roundup of educational news, with a special focus on STEM subjects. As teachers, staying informed about the latest developments in education can inspire our teaching methods, curriculum design, and how we engage with our students. This week, we've seen a range of stories that touch on everything from the challenges of childcare to the future of exams. Let's dive into the highlights and explore what they mean for us as educators. The Growing Challenge of Childcare A recent report highlighted by the BBC has brought to light the worsening childcare shortage across the UK. With fewer than a third of councils having enough spaces for children ...

Wildscreen ARK is LIVE!

By Tim Bradbury posted 18-03-2024

For ARKive education resource fans old and new, Wildscreen has recently launched Wildscreen ARK , an online nature education hub for young people, built to inspire curiosity about the natural world and empower them to protect it. Packed full of natural history photos, video and accessible educational content about UK species, Wildscreen ARK will be growing rapidly in the next few years to include new species, new curriculum-related content and updated education resources. If you'd like to hear more about the project as it grows, or give us feedback on the functionality of the first version of the website and resources, you can sign up to Wildscreen's ...