Members' Blogs

What can oracy and AI do for education? Part 2

By Tim Bradbury posted 4 days ago
Download booklet 2: Can We Trust It ? Download now We discuss cartoons, talk tactics, and debates to establish that truth is rarely straightforward and trust must be earned. In KS1, a story told two ways starts the conversation. By KS3, the question is systemic: who controls the information, and what happens when trust breaks down at scale? School is a place where people and ideas meet. It’s a safe space to explore difference, and where young people can come to discuss the world around them. That world is increasingly digital, distancing children from meaningful human connections. The inclusion of oracy and artificial intelligence ...

Weekly news round up: 19/5/26

By Tim Bradbury posted 5 days ago
The Week in Education: What mattered for STEM teachers 13–19 May 2026 • UK education, STEM-first (but not STEM-only) A teacher-facing long-read that joins the dots across Schools Week, Tes and FE Week. Duplicates removed; links included so you can dig deeper. Quick map (if you only have two minutes) SEND reform moved from “consultation” to “legislation” via an Education for All bill announcement. Inclusion funding was scrutinised and early analysis suggests the “headline billions” may translate into modest per-school allocations. Behaviour policy got more complicated : internal exclusions may not reduce suspensions, and new recording expectations ...

Introducing the Primary STEM Benchmarks: supporting meaningful STEM improvement in every school

By Sarah Dagnell posted 5 days ago
To finish off primary month in the STEM Community, I'd like to introduce STEM Learning's new Primary STEM Benchmarks. Across primary education, there is growing recognition of the importance of high-quality STEM teaching. Schools are working hard to develop rich, engaging experiences in science, technology, engineering and mathematics, but many leaders tell us the same thing: bringing this together into a coherent, strategic whole can feel challenging. That is why we have developed the Primary STEM Benchmarks . This new framework has been designed to support schools in taking a step back, reflecting on their current provision, and identifying ...

National Numeracy Day: Bringing Maths to Life Through Primary STEM

By Tim Bradbury posted 6 days ago
This month, as part of our Primary STEM Focus of the Month , we’re also celebrating National Numeracy Day and the important role numeracy plays across the wider curriculum. For many young people, maths can feel disconnected from everyday life. National Numeracy Day is a brilliant opportunity to change that narrative and help pupils see numeracy as something practical, creative and relevant to the world around them. In Primary STEM especially, numeracy is everywhere. It sits naturally within science investigations, engineering challenges, data collection, coding activities and problem solving. Whether pupils are measuring plant growth, interpreting results ...

AI in education, without the hype: Join us in York this June

By Rachel Jackson posted 9 days ago
AI is already influencing how students learn, how teachers plan and assess, and how schools think about digital literacy and safety. But with so many tools, opinions and pressures, it can be hard to know where to focus, especially when time and workload are tight. STEM Learning's annual AI and Digital Summer Conference is designed to support teachers and subject leads in engaging with AI in a way that is practical, ethical, and grounded in real classroom practice. Taking place on Friday 26 June at the National STEM Learning Centre in York , this event will help primary and secondary teachers, subject leads and school leaders develop their digital ...

From a Blank Page to Piccadilly Circus: Meet the Student Inventors Who Won Samsung Solve for Tomorrow 2025/26

By Tim Bradbury posted 10 days ago
From a Blank Page to Piccadilly Circus: Meet the Student Inventors Who Won Samsung Solve for Tomorrow 2025/26 • Three student teams - tackling asthma, wound care, and green living - crowned as winners of the sixth annual Samsung Solve for Tomorrow competition, entering alongside 2,185 young innovators from across the UK and Ireland • 95% of participating teachers say they would recommend the programme to fellow teachers - with the competition free to enter and curriculum-aligned across D&T, STEM, and PSHE • Winners receive Samsung tech, work experience at Samsung, the chance to see their ideas showcased on the ...

What does great enrichment look like?

By Sarah Dagnell posted 11 days ago
Primary STEM Month feels like the perfect moment to pause and think about what sits beyond the lesson. The recent Curriculum and Assessment Review really shines a light on this. This one line stuck with me: “Evidence shows that extra-curricular enrichment participation is associated with higher educational achievement… and positive outcomes in adulthood.” Children who had engaged with enrichment opportunities were significantly more likely to progress to higher education than those who did not. Enrichment is important. It’s not an add-on , it’s part of the bigger picture of what helps children ...

Summer Term Bulletin

By Paul Thornton posted 12 days ago
Summer Term B ulletin Welcome to the Professional Learning Leads summer term update. There are just a few updates to share this time, so please take a moment to read them carefully. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me directly. Thank you, Paul and the PLLP Team. Impact and Quality Data. Every PLL who has delivered a course in the Spring term (1 st Jan to 30th April) will soon be receiving a PDF report showing delivery qua lity data. The report will show the response rate, overall quality as well as a breakdown of the ...

Weekly news round up: 12/5/26

By Tim Bradbury posted 12 days ago
The Week in Education: What mattered for STEM teachers 6–12 May 2026 • UK education, STEM-first (but not STEM-only) An educator-facing long-read that joins the dots across Schools Week, Tes, FE Week and the EEF. Duplicates removed; links included so you can dig deeper. 1) Teacher supply: bursary changes land right in the middle of recruitment season The most “STEM-relevant” workforce story this week was a sudden shift in financial incentives for trainee teachers. Schools Week reported that bursaries for overseas applicants training in physics and modern languages were paused mid-cycle, with concerns raised about the timing and potential impact on ...

Why professional learning matters for primary STEM

By Sarah Dagnell posted 13 days ago
High-quality professional learning plays a crucial role in primary STEM. It builds teacher confidence, strengthens subject knowledge and helps ensure that children have rich, meaningful experiences in science, maths, computing and D&T. For many primary teachers – who are expert generalists but not always STEM specialists – targeted CPD can make a real difference to what happens in the classroom. When teachers feel confident, pupils benefit. STEM learning becomes more exploratory, more connected to real life and more focused on thinking, talking and making sense of the world around them. At STEM Learning, our CPD is designed to be practical, relevant ...

Enhancing science planning with Explorify: 5 teacher support areas to explore

By Sarah Dagnell posted 18 days ago
Explorify is well known for its engaging, discussion-led activities that bring science to life in the primary classroom. But beyond the activities themselves, there is a wealth of teacher support designed to help you plan with confidence and make your sessions even more meaningful and inclusive. If you scroll down on the Explorify homepage, you’ll find a range of guidance to support your teaching. Here are five key areas to explore: 1. Top Tips for every activity type Not sure how to get the most out of a particular Explorify activity? The Top Tips guides break down all 13 activity types, ...

Celebrating Primary STEM on the STEM Community

By Sarah Dagnell posted 18 days ago
This month, we’re celebrating primary STEM across the STEM Community and taking time to really shine a light on why it matters. Children are born curious. From their earliest years, they explore, question and make sense of the world around them. Toddlers are already testing ideas, noticing patterns and asking “why?”. Primary school should build on this. It’s where that natural curiosity is nurtured, where children are encouraged to ask questions, explore ideas and begin to make sense of how things work and why they matter. STEM has a crucial role to play in this. It helps children connect their learning to real life, see the relevance ...

National Deaf Awareness Week: teaching opportunities around sound, hearing and communication

By Tim Bradbury posted 19 days ago
National Deaf Awareness Week: teaching opportunities around sound, hearing and communication National Deaf Awareness Week is a valuable opportunity to bring together awareness, inclusion and some brilliant STEM learning. It gives schools and colleges a chance to shine a light on deaf awareness and hearing loss, while also opening up plenty of teaching opportunities around sound, vibration, communication and how we experience the world around us. For STEM educators, this is one of those awareness weeks that lends itself particularly well to the classroom. Whether you are teaching primary science, secondary physics or looking for a strong cross-curricular ...

Weekly news round up: 5/5/26

By Tim Bradbury posted 19 days ago
The Week in Education: What mattered for STEM teachers 29 April – 5 May 2026 • UK education, STEM-first (but not STEM-only) An educator-facing long-read that joins the dots across Schools Week, Tes, FE Week, Sky News and the EEF. Duplicates removed; links included so you can dig deeper. Quick look (if you only have two minutes) Maths grouping is back in the spotlight (sets vs mixed attainment) – with fresh evidence and plenty of nuance. Inclusion and accountability are rubbing against each other (how inspection judgements interact with SEND and disadvantage). Behaviour data points upward (record exclusions; primary suspensions rising) ...

Weekly news round up: 21/4/26

By Tim Bradbury posted 21-04-2026
The Week in Education: What mattered for STEM teachers 15 - 21 April 2026 • UK education, STEM-first (but not STEM-only) A teacher-facing long-read that joins the dots across Schools Week, Tes, FE Week, Sky News and the EEF. Duplicates removed; links included so you can dig deeper. 1) School food standards: a big policy change with very real classroom knock-ons The proposed overhaul of school food standards stayed at the top of the agenda this week – not because anyone is against healthier food, but because implementation questions are piling up fast: cost, capacity, uptake, and fairness . Caterers told Schools Week that if government wants menus ...

What can oracy and AI do for education?

By Shameel Khan posted 20-04-2026
Download Booklet 1: What is Real ? Here (Log in using your username and password). We follow one question from a four-year-old spotting a shark on a discovery table to a fourteen-year-old debating deepfake responsibility. In KS1, children learn to question what they see. By KS2, they are spotting manipulation. At KS3: not just can I spot a fake, but what should we do about it? School is a place where people and ideas meet. It’s a safe space to explore difference, and where young people can come to discuss the world around them. That world is increasingly digital, distancing children from meaningful human connections. The ...

Help shape a new Plant Health zine from Fera

By Tim Bradbury posted 16-04-2026
Scientists at Fera are looking for feedback from teachers on a new draft eZine all about plant health, and we would love to help them gather views from the STEM Community. The eZine has been created for GCSE and A level students and covers a wide range of plant health topics, including pests, diseases, diagnostics, insects, bacteria, fungi, viruses, seeds and trees. It uses a bright, illustrated format to introduce students to the science behind plant health and the careers linked to it. This is still a draft version, so some of the illustrations are finished while others are still in sketch form. At this stage, Fera are particularly keen to hear from teachers ...

International Girls in ICT Day: helping more girls see their place in computing

By Tim Bradbury posted 16-04-2026
International Girls in ICT Day takes place on the 23rd April 2026. It is a useful opportunity for schools to stop and think about how girls experience computing, digital learning and technology-related careers. The day is led globally by the International Telecommunication Union and takes place each year on the fourth Thursday in April, with a focus on encouraging girls and young women to explore ICT and consider future pathways in the field. It's a chance to celebrate what is possible, challenge outdated stereotypes and, most importantly to help more girls see that there is a place for them in this space. If you are looking for a good place to start, take ...

Our friends at Neon (EUK Education), are looking for your help

By Tim Bradbury posted 15-04-2026
Our friends at Neon , part of EUK Education (Engineering UK) , are looking for your help Neon helps teachers and educators find high-quality STEM activities to inspire young people, and the team are looking for feedback from those who use the platform. If you’ve used Neon, this is a good opportunity to share what works well, what could be improved, and what you’d like to see in future. Feedback from previous surveys has helped shape updates to the platform since it launched in 2020, so it is a genuine chance to influence its development. The survey takes around 5 to 10 minutes to complete, and as a thank you, you can choose to enter a prize draw to win ...