Category: STEM

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Schools STEM

BBC Terrific Scientific – free resources

There’s still time to sign up for the BBC’s Terrific Scientific (external link). Aimed at 9 – 11 year olds, there is free support and resources, lesson plans, classroom investigations and an online map to share your results with other schools around the UK. Terrific Scientific will run until summer 2018 with a fresh series of investigations, fantastic resources and Live Lessons for the next academic year.  5,000 primary schools have registered already.  They’ve enjoyed it so  far: 

 

                                                                    

     “lovely resources”

“We were really inspired and think that science is fun”

     “It makes science really exciting for everyone”

“fantastic time taking part”

                                               “Can’t wait for the next one”

“our class absolutely LOVED this experiment”

 

Some of you may already be taking part: if so, do let Terrific Scientific have your data from the Time investigation as soon as possible (it closes on 21 April) so that it will be displayed on our interactive map (external link).

 

If you haven’t signed up yet, you can still register and join in.  The next Terrific Scientific investigation – Trees (Living things and their habitats) – starts after the Easter break (on Monday 24  April) and runs until 4 June. The primary school scientists will be taking part in a UK wide survey of trees in school grounds, looking at the species, size and carbon value of each tree and how important they are to their world.

 

Want to get involved?  Register here (external link) if your school has not already registered.  It’s easy and only takes a few minutes.

 

 

Categories
Governance Schools STEM

Green paper outlines new STEM and vocational plans

The government has released the Building our Industrial Strategy Green Paper (external link), reaffirming its commitment to apprenticeships and creating “a proper system of technical education”. The Green Paper seeks to outline how the system will help the half of young people who do not take A-levels or go to university, and “those parts of the country where more people take a technical track”.

New plans outlined by the government include:

  1. Establishing a new Institutes of Technology to deliver high quality STEM provision and meet local employer demands.
  2. Increasing the quality of STEM (science, technology engineering and maths) provision.
  3. Creating 15 “technical routes” which match the needs of the labour market, available for 16-19 year olds as two-year courses. Working with FE providers to get “industry specialists” involved in delivering the new courses and encouraging FE colleges to be “centres of excellence” for math’s and English education.
  4. Reviewing careers advice in schools and publishing a “comprehensive strategy later this year for careers information, advice and guidance”.
Categories
STEM

Free STEM competition

Please see below information on the Primary & Secondary Engineer Leaders Award. This is a free STEM competition which requires primary and secondary pupils to interview engineers and then design a solution to a problem in response to the question, “If you were an engineer, what would you do?”

This is the second year the competition is running for London schools with UCL. As well as two winners from each age group, UCL will select a winning design and a team of engineers from UCL will make it!

The design chosen from last year was by 5 year old Mahika Sharma who designed the ‘Smart Stick’ a modern interpretation of the white stick for blind people which has vibrate alerts and audio alerts via Bluetooth. The competition was highly successful in Scotland which over the last four years has had 22,000 children enter.

Information – Primary London (PDF, 1MB)

Step by Step London Primary (PDF, 2MB)

Information Secondary London (PDF, 1MB)

Step by Step London Secondary (PDF, 2MB)

 

 

 

Categories
STEM

Primary Science Assessment: key messages from recent training

 

Knowledge v Working Scientifically

  • Good practice is that assessments and tracking takes place for both knowledge and skills. There is some argument for saying that working scientifically should only be assessed at the end of a year when children have been given the opportunity to demonstrate the skills in a variety of ways and through a range of activities.
  • Working scientifically coverage can be tracked across the year using a grid such as the attached with this document – this will ensure that teachers are planning for all five types of enquiry.
  • A source of quality investigative assessments is being created and put on the Primary Science Teaching Trust website for each year group – click on link then – ‘Focused assessment data base’.

     

    https://pstt.org.uk/resources/curriculum-materials/assessment

Categories
STEM

Haringey commits to raising STEM skills

You may have seen Haringey’s STEM Commission report, which has a number of important recommendations to encourage more young people to study science, technology, engineering and maths.
 
Established last year, the STEM Commission (external link) was chaired by Baroness Morgan and it’s panel included Michael McKenzie, headteacher at Alexandra Park School. The independent panel gathered evidence from businesses, experts, teachers and students, and in August 2016 it made its final recommendations on how Haringey can put itself at the forefront of STEM education. 

In September, we accepted all of the STEM Commission’s recommendations.. We are now looking to establish a ‘Haringey Diploma’, developed and accredited by employers, business leaders and experts, based on STEM subjects; promote two centres of STEM teaching excellence in Haringey and work with schools to appoint a dedicated Haringey STEM Co-ordinator, responsible for co-ordinating extracurricular activities across the borough. We also want to identify a partner organisation to build links between businesses and local schools and colleges, and also encourage existing STEM professionals to volunteer in Haringey schools.

Haringey council is determined to ensure young people across our borough have the skills to compete in a 21st century globalised economy. None of this is possible without the input of schools and we need your help and expertise if we are to achieve the STEM Commission’s aim. Your contribution is vital to putting all of the recommendations in place and we would very much like to hear your ideas and thoughts on how we can best work together to continue to raise attainment in STEM subjects.

If you would like to be involved in this work, or find out more, please email stemcommission@haringey.gov.uk