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
Ahead Partnership is a leading social enterprise which works across the country to connect schools and children with employers to promote education and employability and raise awareness of STEM careers.
Challenge
The West Midlands is considered the largest hub for STEM and innovation outside of London. However, many schools in the region are in deprived areas and lack the resources to deliver anything more than the basic STEM curriculum. This results in a high percentage of students not being engaged in STEM education and a misrepresentation of STEM skills in the workforce. The project involves a week-long STEM festival (#STEMFestWM) involving employers and 250 young people drawn from secondary schools and FE colleges/sixth forms across the West Midlands. The festival aims to enthuse young people about STEM careers whilst they are still in education and build a stronger talent pipeline for the sector. The festival will showcase the career opportunities that exist and encourage young people to make subject and study choices that open up these opportunities.
What impact has it made?
The project impacted over 250 students and 16 secondary schools and 2 further education colleges across the week. For students, the events helped them gain an insight into the businesses and sectors available and how STEM subjects can set them up for a successful career. This can now influence the immediate choices that will be making about GCSE and post-16 study options.
Students have developed confidence through participating in the events and an understanding of how their learning links to specific roles and careers, alongside a suite of skills that will be valuable within the workplace such as listening and creative thinking skills.
The events facilitated connections between participating employers and between employers and schools and introduced a large number of new partners to Millennium Point.
Employers were able to learn from each other and develop new ideas around engagement with young people.
Why did they receive a small grant?
Ahead Partnership has an extensive portfolio of successes engaging with young people across the country in education and equipping them with skills and links to industry employers. STEMfestWM provided a much-needed platform for employers to link to schools and colleges in the region to enhance STEM learning and engage students in the prospect of STEM careers. Particularly, the project’s focus on building confidence with girls and young women to pursue STEM careers is a crucial step in tackling the diversity gap within STEM.
Working with Millenium Point Charitable Trust will help us increase the pool of younger entrants to STEM occupations and to support the growth potential of businesses by promoting and furthering understanding of STEM. Currently, too few young people have a concrete understanding of the opportunities that exist within the West Midlands region. Employers have a very valuable role to play in developing this understanding and bringing careers alive through direct interventions with young people. This project will bring together education and employers, to contribute to regeneration in Birmingham, resulting in a future workforce that has STEM, entrepreneurial and creative skills to build on the City’s heritage and legacy and benefit the public through new products, services, businesses, jobs and economic growth.
Stephanie Burras, Chief Executive, Ahead Partnership
Background
The Play House is a small theatre and education charity based inside Birmingham REP who specialise in engaging schools through educational and interactive performances.
Challenge
STEM education has a limited presence in the primary education curriculum. As a result children in the region are missing out on opportunities to engage in STEM learning in ways that ignite their passion and make them aware of the many careers and options available through STEM. Daughters of Invention is a drama and engineering education project originally created through a Royal Academy of Engineering Ingenious award.
After a successful first run in 2019, The Playhouse was seeking funds to bring the project to new schools in areas of deprivation and low aspiration in Birmingham and work with new female and BAME University of Birmingham engineers. Their aim is to develop children’s interest with a particular emphasis on girls and children from marginalised backgrounds in engineering/STEM and increase their understanding of the part problem-solving, creative thinking and team-work plays in engineering.
What impact has it made?
The project was a significant success which benefited over 240 children in 8 KS2 classes across 5 schools. The project increased knowledge and understanding of engineering for primary school-aged pupils with a particular emphasis on providing role models for young girls to build their confidence and awareness of careers in engineering. Additionally, the project worked with the University of Birmingham and encouraged UoB students to build their confidence in taking part in STEAM public engagement – seeing it’s impact and value within education in the local area.
Why did they receive a small grant?
Educating STEM subjects in exciting ways is pivotal to early years education – when children are forming their personalities and interests that will define them for their future growth. The Play House brought a wonderfully creative dimension to teaching engineering and breaking the misconceptions surrounding the fundamentals of the industry and the dominant stereotypes. The project itself was well constructed and targeted with an engaging strategy for raising awareness of engineering with primary years. Lastly, the focus on women in engineering will have a tremendous impact on closing the diversity gap in STEM subjects and will hopefully encourage a new wave of female engineers in the future.
Because of the grant from Millennium Point, The Play House is going to be inventing and creating with real-life engineers and KS2 children in Birmingham primary schools in 2020. Our STEM and drama project, Daughters of Invention, is coming back! Thanks to the Millennium Point Charitable Trust we are able to inspire a new cohort of children and their teachers.
We will be working a with our partners from the School of Mechanical Engineering, the University of Birmingham and a cohort of young engineers to develop children’s interest (particularly girls and children from BAME backgrounds) in engineering/STEM and increase their understanding of the part problem-solving, creative thinking and team-work play in engineering.
Juliet Fry, Creative Director, The Play House
Background
The Birmingham Botanical Gardens are a 15-acre botanical garden situated in Edgbaston, and one of the most popular attractions for families in the region.
Challenge
Primary schools lack the resources and skills to provide laboratory style and specialist science learning experiences and research supports the importance of nurturing interest in science prior to secondary school and before known stereotypes fully develop. Sensational Science is a new, original interactive education workshop designed to enable school children to investigate plant DNA and undertake scientific experiments into the science behind plants in a laboratory-style session at Birmingham Botanical Gardens.
The aim is to inspire young people at this opportune time, generate an interest in science and scientific literacy and encourage the study of science/STEM subjects at school. The Royal Society of Chemistry, Birmingham & West Midlands, supported this collaboration to deliver Sensational Science, designed to engage children and the general public in science and to promote the chemical sciences and aims to benefit visitors of all ages to the Botanical Gardens.
What impact has it made?
The project provides practical experience of scientific investigation for KS1 and KS2 primary school pupils (aged 5-11 years) from inner-city schools in Birmingham and the West Midlands. Led by an award-winning education team, the project aims to deliver 35 sessions during 2019/20 to 1,000 pupils from primary schools in Birmingham and the West Midlands. The project demonstrates the practical application of STEM within a green space which elevates their knowledge in STEM in a fun and imaginative way.
Why did they receive a small grant?
The project works with inner-city schools, many of whom have a high population of students from deprived and marginalised backgrounds. The session-based workshops provide an exciting and innovative way to bring science to life for children in the vibrancy of Birmingham Botanical Gardens. It also provides an opportunity for children to gain STEM knowledge in an outdoor setting, in a green space which many of them will not have access to otherwise.
We are absolutely thrilled to have been awarded a small grant from Millennium Point Trust. As a direct result of this grant, we can deliver an exciting programme of bespoke workshops enabling school children to investigate plant DNA and undertake scientific experiments into the science behind plants in a laboratory-style workshop at the Birmingham Botanical Gardens.
The funding will enable us to deliver a minimum of 35 workshops during the year 2019/20, and provide opportunities for up to 1,000 primary school children from Birmingham and West Midlands schools to ‘work scientifically’. We are especially delighted that this grant will help support the prohibitive costs of travel for up to 20 of our most deprived local schools, a cost we know to be a barrier to some of our closest inner-city schools. With your support, we are able to provide the additional benefit to schools of being able to access the Gardens in general -where they can stay for as long as they choose!
We would like to put on record our thanks to Millennium Point Trust for their support for our work and their hugely important commitment to developing the STEM agenda in this region.
Elizabeth Frostick, Development Director, Birmingham Botanical Gardens
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
