Background
WMG Academy for Young Engineers is a college that offers education in science, technology, engineering and maths for 14 – 19-year-olds in Solihull.
Challenge
The school wanted to take part in the CanSat competition, which is supported by the European Space Agency. The object is to design and build a simulation of a real satellite that is dropped from a tethered balloon and conducts science experiments as it descends by parachute. However, the school had limited funds to support the competition entry and so reached out to Millennium Point Trust through the grants programme. The challenge for students is to design and construct all the major subsystems found in a satellite, such as power, sensors and a communication system, and fit them into the volume and shape of a soft drinks can. The satellite is required to gather data on parameters that the students have chosen to measure during its descent, for example, temperature and pressure, and transmit it in real-time to a ground station.
What impact has it made?
The students discovered how the science they learn in the classroom can be applied to real-world investigations. They learned how to solve practical engineering and science problems across a broad spectrum of activities including radio transmission, programming, parametric measurement, 3D printing and aeronautics. They also developed transferable skills.
The academy will benefit because this is an exciting competition that will raise the profile of our STEM curriculum.
Why did they receive a small grant??
The school identified an opportunity to elevate STEM learning for students. The proposal demonstrated the appetite and enthusiasm the students had for entering the competition and the impact the experience would have on them. Providing the school with the means to enable students to take part in the competition not only feeds their excitement for STEM but helps the school provide context to learnings in the classroom through engaging extra curricular experiences.
WMG Academy for Young Engineers Coventry is proud to be at the forefront of STEM education, and this grant from Millennium Point Charitable Trust will assist the academy’s endeavours in providing engaging and exciting education in science, technology, engineering and maths. The grant will fund a team of students aged 16-18 to design and build a simulation of a real satellite that fits inside a soft drink can, as part of a European Space Agency project. At WMG Academy Coventry, students are continually striving for excellence in STEM subjects and the grant from Millennium Point Charitable Trust will allow them, through their space project, to showcase their work at the national level while learning new skills.
Robert Hodge, Project Lead, WMG Academy for Young Engineers
Background
Joseph Leckie Academy is a secondary school located in The Delves area of Walsall in the West Midlands.
Challenge
The school is keen to engage children in STEM in ways relevant to the local history of the West Midlands – in this case, the rich heritage of Jewellery and manufacturing centred around Birmingham’s historic Jewellery Quarter. Prior to the grant, the school were limited in this ambition by lack of resources and outdated equipment which meant little opportunity to explore the element of STEM as part of the wider curriculum.
What impact has it made?
The project has given students a broad range of design and manufacturing skills as well as a link to manufacturing methods in the West Midlands. With the printer in situ students get a first-hand experience of a design and make activity and lead them towards considering a STEM-based career, whether that is in manufacturing or design. With this new equipment, the school can now develop additional projects around digital and design in STEM to further create opportunities for students to engage with the wider STEM subjects and industries for generations to come.
Why did they receive a small grant?
Joseph Leckie presented an insightful project which has limitless potential for the school and its students. The project itself is an innovative take on STEM education which seeks to not only raise awareness of the breadth of STEM but teach students about the rich STEM heritage they have on their doorstep through the context of Jewellery Making and the Jewellery Quarter. Lastly, the 3D printer unlocks opportunities for the school to explore more ways of enhancing the STEM curriculum for their students through practical application for generations to come.
We are delighted to be receiving this grant from MPT. 3D printers like the ones MPT have given us the grant to purchase are likely to be a huge part of the future of manufacturing. Giving our students an opportunity to experience their use first hand is an amazing way to prepare them for STEM jobs of the future right here in the Midlands.
Joseph Leckie Academy
Background
St Edmund Campion Catholic School is a coeducational Catholic secondary school and sixth form with over 1000 students located on the corner of Holly Lane and Sutton New Road in the Erdington area of Birmingham.
Challenge
The school has high levels of disadvantaged pupils and many students feel that an academic future and/or STEM career is out of their reach. In response to this, the school wanted to establish a STEM club for Y7-10 highlighting STEM careers as part of a wider “Year of STEM” project. They had run Science clubs in the past but lack of resources meant limited exposure for students to be made aware of the wider world within STEM.
What impact has it made?
Running a STEM club will be an extremely rewarding experience. They provide the chance to explore and investigate topics, not in the curriculum and work on large scale projects drawing knowledge and developing skills across multiple subject areas to enrich learning. The club provides children with an opportunity to understand the practical applications of STEM in the wider context of the real world and raise aspirations amongst the student body for a STEM career.
Why did they receive a small grant?
The school demonstrated a clear need for additional STEM resources. With a high volume of disadvantaged pupils, it was paramount that the STEM clubs were of excellent quality to ensure that students felt engaged in STEM and inspired to explore the wider opportunities of STEM subjects. Disadvantaged children are among the most likely to miss out on aspirations within science, technology, engineering and maths and the school showed clearly the impact a grant would make on meeting the needs of their young people.
The Millennium Point Trust Grant has enabled us to launch our ‘Year of STEM’ at St Edmund Campion Catholic School. Students taking part in our STEM club will follow a range of projects throughout the academic year, starting with building a motorised glider. Each term will include a trip relevant to the project they’re undertaking to assist their learning and give them some hands-on experience as well as links to industry. We are very excited for the academic year to come and hope our students enhance their passion for STEM-related subjects.
Sabrina Macintosh, Maths Department, St Edmund’s Campion RC Catholic School
Background
Trinity High School and Sixth Form Centre is a 13-18 co-educational academy school located in central Redditch.
Challenge
Students at Trinity High School have a keen interest in STEM Learning which is limited by the resources and funding available to the school. This project transforms a dilapidated Art & Design room into a state-of-the-art STEM room. The room will be equipped with computers and CAD/CAM & machinery to provide a platform for ICT, Science and Mathematics where students can work on a range of projects which develop core STEM skills and apply their learning to real world scenarios.
What impact has it made?
The project will enhance the teaching of the STEM curriculum, expand their after school STEM activities and use the room as a hub to provide opportunities for the teaching of STEM to students in other local middle and primary schools as well as the wider community – ultimately raising the profile and importance of STEM in the workplace and showcase a wide range of potential careers available to young people within the area.
Why did they receive a small grant?
Trinity High School demonstrated clearly the impact the funding would make not only on their school but other schools and communities within the wider area. Their proposal was carefully considered and highlighted the importance of STEM learning within their school, referencing previous projects and initiatives they have delivered to encourage students to consider the opportunities of pursuing STEM subjects and careers.
We are delighted to have received a grant from Millennium Point. This has ensured that students at Trinity will have the best possible opportunities to experience STEM in real-world scenarios and will support our drive to open up life chances to all students, regardless of their backgrounds. It has also allowed us to offer a more diverse and immersive STEM curriculum to not only our students but will help us inspire younger students from local schools to get involved with STEM, and consider at as a real option for future employment.
Lucy Green, Director of Sciences Faculty, Trinity High School and Sixth Form
Background
Great Bridge Primary School is a large KS1 & KS2 primary with 500 students located in Tipton.
Challenge
Great Bridge was seeking to enhance their computing curriculum within the school – upskilling the computer literacy of students and get more of them engaged in computing as a subject and possible career path. The school were limited by the resources they had available which included very old equipment and outdated and limited software programmes to teach with. The Millennium Point Trust Grant funded 17 Lego WeDo Sets and the children have learnt to build physical lego models including tilt and movement sensors and motors.
What impact has it made?
The project made a significant impact on the students at the school. Great Bridge Primary have been able to deliver an enhanced curriculum with the resources purchased via the grant becoming a staple of their education. Engagement in computer science has increased significantly with many students citing it as a favourite lesson. Students have been able to develop not only their core computer skills but problem-solving, team working and oracy skills. Similarly, the school has reported much stronger enthusiasm among students for STEM subjects as a direct result of the project.
Why did they receive a small grant?
The project had a clear focus and demonstrated a sound strategy for enhancing STEM learning at the school. The school laid out obtainable objectives and a carefully measured approach for what they wanted to deliver and how. Enhancing the computer science resources within the school has had a significant impact on students perception towards STEM learning and STEM as a career.
We are incredibly excited about the prospect of teaching Lego coding and control to our KS2 pupils and believe it will enhance our Computing and Science teaching in an extremely positive and long-term way. Without the small grant from Millenium Point, this project would have been impossible due to the current funding available to schools however with their support we can inspire our children and give them a fantastic learning opportunity that will help them develop lifelong skills and understanding in the area of STEM subjects.
Judith Bedford, Head Teacher, Great Bridge Primary School
Background
Ark Tindal is a KS1 & 2 primary schools for children aged 3 – 11 in Balsall Heath, Birmingham. They are part of the Ark Schools Network following their transition in 2012.
Challenge
The school is seeking to enhance their STEM curriculum by transforming a disused outdoor space into an outdoor science area. The area would support biology sessions, from identifying plants to studying bug habitats and pond dipping. Observing how seeds and bulbs grow into plants. Identify appliances that run on electricity, construction electrical circuits using, buzzers, lamps and motors. Planning different types of scientific methods and processes to answer questions, recognising and controlling variables. Similarly, the science area would have a renewable zone where the children can learn about power in the context of the environment.
What impact has it made?
The Science area enhances key learning in KS1 & 2 STEM subjects through a creative space outside where students can see the practical applications of what they are learning in the classroom environment. It also gives the school a vibrant outdoor green pace where children can learn about the importance of sustainability and the environment around them, some of whom will not have access to green spaces otherwise.
Why did they receive a small grant?
The project provides the school with resources and opportunities outside of the classroom for children to engage in STEM in a meaningful way. The school’s green agenda of teaching sustainability, renewable energy and demonstrating the practical impact through the outdoor area gives pupils an understanding of the importance of sustainable energy. This understanding has the potential to impact the immediate community of Balsall Heath, and the wider community of the West Midlands.
We are delighted to have been awarded the Millennium Point Charitable Trust grant, as it will enable us to enrich the lives of our pupils through our vision of a STEM is driven learning environment. Over time, we envisage this benefitting the community as a whole and not just pupils attending our school. Throughout our curriculum, which is tailored to our pupils and their life experiences both now and in the future, we want them to understand that renewable energy and energy conservation is becoming increasingly important in everyday life as fossil fuel reserves start to wane. Through our science garden, we will entrench knowledge and appreciation of sustainable living in our pupils from an early age.
Ark Tindal Primary School
Background
The Hospital Education Service provides education to who are unable to attend school due to injuries, illnesses, or any other reason. It is a unique setting split across three key areas: University Hospital Coventry and Warwickshire, Whitmore Park Annexe and home tuition to individuals. Its aim is to provide continuity in education when pupils miss school.
Challenge
The project is an investigation into rollercoasters – from designing, testing and risk assessments, to research into energy, speed, acceleration, friction and gravity weight calculations, this project will teach students to use and think about science in a fun and interesting way. Once investigations are complete, the students will be able to present their findings and then attend a trip to a theme park to see the real-world science first-hand.
With the support of the Millennium Point small grant, The Science of Rollercoasters initiative will encourage developing curiosity and confidence, allowing exploration and ownership of design and hypotheses from an early stage – hopefully encouraging pupils to study science post-16.
What impact has it made?
This project develops key areas within science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) whilst encouraging communication, key investigative skills and collaboration – which will all contribute to building self-esteem, with the intention of giving the pupils motivation to return to mainstream school and have faith in their own ability Practical science is a fantastic way of encouraging pupils to open up and communicate while strengthening core areas such as maths and IT.
Why did they receive a small grant?
The project is an imaginative way to engage children in the practical applications of STEM who otherwise would not have access to the same learning opportunities as those children in a traditional school environment.
Whitmore Park Annexe, which the funding will directly benefit, is a small school that caters for pupils ages 11-17. These pupils are very vulnerable and have often had a negative experience in school and life. The annexe provides an alternative setting for these disadvantaged pupils, in which we try to give them hope and qualifications for their future and reintegration back to mainstream school or provide a pathway for post-16 education.
STEM is an area that I have been developing since joining the Hospital Education Service, with the aim to close the attainment gap of disadvantaged pupils. I try to link to what is of interest to the pupils to create engaging lessons, and this project is the ideal opportunity to demonstrate and apply the science being taught. Pupils can see the relevance of physics in everyday life, and that excites them!
Debbie Glenn, Lead Science teacher, Hospital Education Services
Background
The Meadows Primary School and Resource Base is a three-form entry primary school in Northfield, Birmingham. The children are aged between four and 11 years; 45% of the school consists of disadvantaged children who receive free school meals and grow up in challenging circumstances; 24% of children have Special Educational Needs (SEN).
Challenge
The existing woodland area has become run down and unusable due to limited school funding, and apart from this, there are no playing fields, just a playground. The grant will fund the development of a pond and wildlife area within the school grounds. The objective is to enable the children to immerse themselves in the local environment while learning about biological and life sciences. The funds will also help pay for den building kits, wellington boots and all-in-ones for the children – an outlay that many of the families simply cannot afford themselves.
What impact has it made?
The whole school is benefiting from this project, including the children in the resource base (which is integrated within the mainstream school), who have a speech and language disorder. They sometimes have additional needs such as dyslexia, autism, ADHD, physical difficulties, sensory impairments or social and emotional development.
Why did they receive a small grant?
The project provides children with a vital opportunity to develop their STEM learning in a practical and engaging way which appeals to their individual needs. It also provides access to green spaces for students, many of whom will not have this outside of school. More so, the project underlines the importance of alternative learning methods outside of the traditional classroom environment – which is not always the most effective form of learning.
Science is a major part of what we do in every single curriculum and year group, and this project will have a huge impact on the children in our care. Due to the parents’ financial constraints, the children have very limited experiences of habitats beyond their own street. They don’t experience what a lot of children do, like walks in the countryside.
The grant will enable the children to develop their vocabulary of plants and animals beyond the classroom walls. The science curriculum from reception to year 6 includes plants and animals as a topic, increasing in complexity as the year increase. Developing this project would benefit every year group and vastly impact the children’s progress and attainment.
Due to home circumstances, many children within the school have mental health problems, so they need a great deal of emotional support and providing an area for calm reflection when they feel overwhelmed would vastly benefit the children in our care. We also hope this project will inspire and encourage the traditionally marginalised groups, such as the children in our resource base, to pursue STEM careers in the future; opening up a range of possibilities and develop the children’s confidence to pursue these careers in the future.
Alex Morris, Science Coordinator, The Meadows Primary School and Resource Base
Background
Longwill is a specialist school for deaf children in Northfield, Birmingham which offers children aged 2-11 years old a safe and happy environment. At the school, deaf pupils are immersed in a setting which is underpinned by a sign-bilingual philosophy that encourages the fullest possible personal development through excellent early communication. Sign language and spoken and written English take equal status.
Challenge
The school’s intention is for all pupils to get an opportunity to create an interest and understanding of science in a way that best supports their individual learning preferences and an opportunity for developing their scientific vocabulary, both in speech and sign language. Previously, they have been limited in what they can provide for the students due to limited funding and resources available.
The small grants funding is being used to buy 10 visualises and compound microscopes (one for each classroom, the hall and science lab) which are a high impact learning tool. They take physical objects and magnify and project them onto a large format display for the whole class to see. For STEM lessons, this could be a flower head, leaf, skeletons, or fossils.
What impact has it made?
Around 50 pupils, aged 3-11 will benefit from this project. The tailor-made programme provides the children with opportunities to engage in science and discovery in ways that were otherwise not accessible to them, through means that are better suited to their disability and learning style.
Why did they receive a small grant?
The project clearly presented an “outside-of-the-box” approach to inspiring children with disabilities to pursue an interest in STEM. Longwill staff demonstrated their passion and dedication to enhancing the curriculum in ways they have carefully considered to maximise the impact on the students. It is hoped that through this project more students will take a deeper interest in STEM subjects and careers, which will take big strides towards tackling the STEM skills gap.
All aspects of learning are affected by language, not least STEM, which for our pupils needs a highly experiential curriculum – ‘see it, do it, say it, touch it’ – lots of hands-on learning, full of awe and wonder. These visualisers will bring science to life – we want independent free thinkers, ready for 21st-century life, capable of embracing the technology of tomorrow, who are adaptable, self-reliant resourceful and tolerant of change and who can contribute to the wider community.
Alison Carter, Headteacher, Longwill Primary School for Deaf Children
Background
King Solomon International Business School is Birmingham’s first all-through (4-19) Christian free school with a student body of 1,200 students. Part of the Woodard Family of Christian Schools, it specialises in international business and entrepreneurship.
Challenge
King Solomon International Business School in an inner-city school which has a student body comprised 97% BME, with a high percentage of which from low-income backgrounds. Many children are limited in activities over the summer holidays, with some lacking the digital basics such as a phone or home computer. The project is free to attend Summer Code camp for the Year 7-10 students over the month of August. This will introduce and upskill children with little or no code experience to the World of Code and get them to intermediate by the end of the 4-week program. This summer camp will also provide a space for the students to meet, socialise and bond over the summer holiday period.
What impact has it made?
The aim to address Diversity in Digital was achieved with just a little under half of the attendances taken up by Girls and 98% were of African or Caribbean background. The club increased exposure to STEM and STEM-related subjects and made a significant impact in the advancement of students’ understanding of HTML, CSS and JavaScript. Following the end of the camp, children reported they were more aware of computer science as a career.
Why did they receive a small grant?
The project proposal demonstrated a clear objective to increase diversity in STEM subjects and drive interest in computer science as a career. The proposal was detailed and showed that the Parent School Partnership had already formed relationships with other organisations to deliver the camp. The recipient identified a clear challenge that faces their pupils and their local community and presented a sound solution through which a grant could make significant impact.
With funding from the Millennium Point Charitable Trust, we have been able to reach children from urban, challenged or hard to reach backgrounds who would not usually have access to this type of STEM and coding activity. We are able to provide a fun, interactive summer code camp while helping to address summer holiday food hunger and keeping children positively engaged in a safe environment.
Jane McLeod, Lead Chair, Parent School Partnership at King Solomon International Business School
