Members' Blogs

Check out the fabulous Vet Team in a Box resource for secondary classrooms

By Steve Castle posted yesterday
The University of Liverpool is working to support the diversity of the veterinary professions as part of the national collaborative project ‘Vet Team in a Box’. ‘Vet Team in a Box’, is a complete secondary school lesson in a box. It is designed in-line with National Curriculum key stage 3 Science, where students will participate in ‘real-life’ veterinary scenarios, performing diagnostic tests similar to those used to diagnose real animals and interpreting scientific evidence. The project aims to demystify the veterinary professions and some of the perceived barriers to joining it for both young people and their advisors. It covers a wealth ...

Festivals of Chemistry & Chemistry Changemakers Award

By Ajay Sharman posted yesterday
The hybrid Festivals of Chemistry for students aged 14-16 years old is back! Applications are now open for Discovery Days taking place in May and June 2024 in London & the South East, Yorkshire & the Humber, East of England, Northern Ireland, Scotland, Wales and the Midlands. The deadline for applications is 5 February 2024 - find out more and apply here . Also - there's less than a month to apply for the Chemistry Changemakers Award ! The Salters' Institute encourages students aged 16-17 to think on how chemistry can change our world for the better by creating a poster that identifies and tackles a societal issue within their community ...

Support for students getting their GCSE results

By Ruth Le Breton posted 23-08-2023
When students open their GCSE results tomorrow they will undoubtedly be feeling both excited and nervous, wondering if they've achieved what they hoped for, and what their next steps are going to be. If, as predicted, fewer top grades are awarded, some students will be disappointed. Others may do better than they expected. Whatever the outcome, it will be more important than ever for students to have plenty of opportunities to discuss their options with teachers, family and friends so they can carefully consider what to do next. It can also be helpful for students to have guidance from someone outside of their immediate support network who can provide a different ...

Our summer schools give teachers a head start and confidence boost for the next academic year

By Sarah Longshaw posted 29-06-2023
As we approach the end of a very challenging academic year, particularly with respect to staffing, STEM Learning’s Network Education Lead, Sarah Longshaw, considers how our summer schools help to give teachers a head start for next term. "Train people well enough so they can leave, treat them well enough so they don’t want to" said Richard Branson in 2014. What’s this got to do with schools? Well, the rate of state school teachers leaving the profession hit the highest rate for four years in 2022, with one in 10 (9.7%) of all qualified teachers leaving and 12.8% of new teachers leaving after one year. The issue of teacher retention is a complex one - ...

'Vet Team in a Box' available for secondary schools

By Steve Castle posted 26-06-2023
The University of Liverpool is working to support the diversity of the veterinary professions as part of the national collaborative project ‘Vet Team in a Box’. ‘Vet Team in a Box’, is a complete secondary school lesson in a box. It is designed in-line with National Curriculum key stage 3 Science, where students will participate in ‘real-life’ veterinary scenarios, performing diagnostic tests similar to those used to diagnose real animals and interpreting scientific evidence. The project aims to demystify the veterinary professions and some of the perceived barriers to joining it for both young people and their advisors. It covers a wealth of ...

Is your school eligible for the "Keeping Science Practical" project?

By Rob Butler posted 21-06-2023
As anyone familiar with the ASE will know, we have long been champions of the Gatsby Charitable Foundation’s Good Practical Science report , which provides a framework for good practical science in schools and colleges. As an organisation, we are concerned that as schools have become used to teaching science with reduced practical work during the pandemic, and early career teachers have entered the profession with little experience of teaching practicals. We also see gaps in student knowledge and skills as a result of missing practical work over part of their school career. Without action to address these factors, the result could be significant damage to young ...

Enrichment Opportunity- Hormoneia Education Workshops

By Ajay Sharman posted 14-06-2023
Hybrid Games have created a game about hormones and the menstrual cycle, incorporating the PSHE and Biology curriculum that uses a unique approach to teach critical topics. They will provide schools with FREE workshops to help young people understand what is going on inside their bodies and minds and equip teachers with the knowledge and skills to better educate young people about menstrual health and hormones. The project seeks to fill a gap in education by using a unique approach to teaching critical topics that are often seen as irrelevant. It will provide schools with FREE workshops to help young people in greater knowledge and ...

Opportunity to invite pathologists into your school

By Elizabeth Hooper posted 25-05-2023
National Pathology Week (NPW) 2023 is running from 19 to 25 June. NPW offers a fantastic opportunity to explore health and disease topics with young people. Many pathologists and clinical scientists working in hospitals are keen to highlight their work in diagnosing and treating disease to school students during NPW. Why not put a call out for a STEM Ambassador who works in pathology in your area to come in to speak with your students? If the end of June doesn’t work for you, why not highlight pathology and the many career opportunities it offers, as part of the NHS’s 75 th Anniversary on 5 July? Get in touch with the RCPath Public Engagement ...

Jeans for Genes looking for teacher input to help shape future education materials

By Elizabeth Hooper posted 19-05-2023
Jeans for Genes , a charity which raises awareness of the daily challenges faced by those living with a genetic condition and runs Jeans for Genes week (a popular fund raising event in schools during September) are looking to create some new educational resources to raise awareness and understanding of genetic conditions. Many years ago they created some resources which can be found here and these are still popular, but Jeans for Genes are looking to improve them. This is where they need the help of practising teachers. Jeans for Genes are asking teachers to complete a short survey to help them develop new resources which will only take a few minutes. ...

Enter a competition to win a STEM kit for secondary schools

By Ajay Sharman posted 04-05-2023
Innovate UK have funded a project to test The Curiosity Box's 'magnets in motion STEM kit' as a tool to support KS2/P7 transition into secondary schools - get involved today! 48 secondary schools will receive one kit each and each kit is for up to 30 students. All you have to do to enter the competition to receive a kit is fill in this questionnaire - good luck!

Free video resources - Pure Science Education

By Sonia Puri posted 02-03-2023
I am a secondary school teacher who created the YouTube channel 'Pure Science Education' during lockdown to support LSA and students. Since then the channel has grown after receiving lots of requests from students. I try to post one video a week on different topics and Key Stages including worked out exam papers and how to score maximum marks in an exam as I work with 2 exam boards AQA and Edexcel. Please free free to share the link with your students, family and friends. Any feedback is welcomed or request for future videos. Visit the channel here

WorldSkills competition 2023 now open

By Ajay Sharman posted 28-02-2023
Registration for WorldSkills UK’s national skills competitions is now open until 24 March 2023. There are more than 50 competitions available, including eight Foundation Skills competitions, all of which are designed by industry experts. These programmes help young people from all backgrounds and abilities to grow personally whilst honing their technical and employability skills. In fact: • 97% of previous entrants say they improved their technical skills after taking part • 93% said they improved their personal and employability skills • 90% said they can apply the skills they developed to their education, work or other parts of their life • ...

IOA Secondary Schools' Competition 2023 - the connection between acoustics and ecology

By Steve Castle posted 27-02-2023
This competition is for a small team of up to 3 students between 11 and 16 years of age. Students can be from different year groups and classes; however, they need to be from the same educational establishment. Only schools in the UK can enter. Activity : Use the BirdNET app to identify the birds present in three acoustically different areas. Task 1 : Familiarisation of measurement hardware and software When measuring sound, it is important to understand the hardware and software that you are using. For this task you need to install the BirdNET app onto a smartphone or multiple smartphones. Please find attached User Guides for BirdNET prepared by members ...

British Beauty Council STEM secondary video resources

By Ruth Le Breton posted 06-02-2023
The British Beauty Council have developed a series of four videos showcasing a range of careers across the beauty and STEM sector. The films highlight opportunities in cosmetic science, fragrance, sustainability and technology and feature influential voices within beauty including Jamie Genevieve, Plastic Boy and The Welsh Twins. Check them out here

New STEM App launched for girls aged 13-18

By Steve Castle posted 24-01-2023
As part of EY’s commitment to positively impact One Billion Lives by 2030, EY have launched a new educational STEM app for girls aged 13-18 to boost learning and tackle gender inequalities. This app is free to use and aims to positively impact out-of-school learning. Using a rewards-based model, the app contains engaging, straightforward educational content from renowned institutions to encourage learning. It has seen great success to date, with a 98.5% approval rating from 25,000+ girls globally to date. Read more here . More details can be found in the video below: Explore the EY STEM App! - YouTube The app can now be downloaded ...

Get your students involved in the Alexa Young Innovator Challenge

By Steve Castle posted 23-01-2023
Could your students ages 13-14 and 15-18 use technology to make a positive difference to society in 2023, plus win incredible prizes for themselves and your school? Find out in the Alexa Young Innovator Challenge ! Amazon are asking young people across the UK to create and code a ‘Skill for Good’ for Alexa, helping to address the societal issues that matter most to them, from climate change to homelessness and gender equality. Tackle the challenge with the help of Amazon’s FREE resources and coding walkthrough film , helping students explore artificial intelligence as they learn to use the MIT App Inventor website to code their skill. This challenge ...

Free inspiration for teachers of Maths

By Stephen Lyon posted 20-01-2023
This March, the MEI Inspired online event is returning! Join them for a series of free twilight webinars which will inspire you, enrich your teaching and benefit your students' learning. MEI will introduce you to new concepts and resources, direct you to opportunities to further support your students and explore professional development opportunities. The sessions cover a wide variety of topics, from primary maths to further education – there’s something for everyone! Registration is now open and the event is free for all teachers in the UK and abroad.

Nominations open for the David Clark Prize

By Steve Castle posted 19-01-2023
The ERA Foundation is now accepting nominations for the 2023 David Clark Prize. The prize recognizes exceptional educators who have gone above and beyond in inspiring young people to pursue engineering as a profession and career. The ERA Foundation David Clark Prize recognizes exceptional educators in England who have gone above and beyond in inspiring young people to consider engineering as a profession and career. This prestigious prize is awarded annually to two educators, one working in primary schools and one in secondary schools, colleges or UTCs. Both winners will have gone demonstrably beyond what is required in the teaching syllabus ...

Sepsis Savvy & Resources for Schools info

By Steve Castle posted 18-01-2023
Approximately 25,000 children are affected by sepsis in the UK each year. To raise awareness, the UK Sepsis Trust (UKST) has developed a bank of PSHE resources for schools so that staff and some of the 11.7 million students better understand the dangers of the condition. Sepsis Survivor Week is 12 th – 18 th February. Resources for Schools are designed to help students learn about the dangers of sepsis through PSHE lessons. They can be downloaded via https://sepsistrust.org/savvy/schools , and include : Sepsis lesson plans (Key Stages 1-5) and PowerPoint slides Teachers’ notes for each slide detailing additional information, ...

SI Prefix Mnemonic Challenge

By Elizabeth Hooper posted 17-01-2023
Come up with a clever mnemonic for a chance to win £200! To celebrate the recent expansion to the range of SI prefixes, (for the first time in 31 years!) the National Physical Laboratory are challenging primary and secondary school pupils to come up with two mnemonics (how to create a mnemonic) to help remember the names of all the SI prefixes. The winning individuals (or class teams) from primary and secondary schools will win £200 in high-street gift vouchers, with runners up in each category bagging £50 in high-street gift vouchers. For this challenge we want entrants to create two mnemonics, one for the SI prefix names for big numbers, and one for the ...