What is STEM and why do we do it?
The acronym STEM comes from the initial letter of each of the four subjects, Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths .
The purpose of STEM activities is to help ensure that children realise the benefits and opportunities of the four STEM subjects and the possibilities for future employment. Think of some common jobs like an electrician or a car mechanic; an electrician works with electricity and this part of science and a car mechanic uses both engineering and technology skills.
What we offer
Our school is fortunate enough to be the lead school in an Ogden Trust Schools Partnership. The Ogden Trust promotes the teaching of physics and through this we have developed our sequencing of learning, our physics teaching and the range of resources that we use to support learning. In 2023 we converted our community room into a science lab to help us on our journey to raise the profile of science teaching and enthuse children about potential jobs they may have when they are older.
We also seek to enhance the whole curriculum through partnership work, visits, visitors, STEM ambassadors and links to Durham University.
STEM ambassadors are people who work in STEM subjects and who can visit school to help us deliver the curriculum and enthuse children about that subject. For example; we might work with a volcanologist, geologist or Earth scientist when children learn about rocks and soil in science or tectonic plates in geography, or we might work with a marine biologist when we study shore line habitats.
We also host final year students from Durham University who complete a STEM placement in our school. Previously we have worked with mathematicians, physicists and an earth scientist. This year, we will be working with a mathematician, physicist and hopefully a biologist.
Our Year 6 children visit Nissan every year where they see the production line and then complete a production line activity of their own using Lego to make cars with each child having a specific role and where there is quality control and an element of time. Through this, children learn about engineering and production techniques.
We are also working with Kielder Observatory and children in years 4,5 and 6 have had the opportunity to join an astronomy club and visit Kielder Observatory for night time start gazing.
The astronomers also ran sessions for every class in summer 2024 and are planning on returning so we can hold a start gazing event on the school field for children and parents one evening in spring 2025. This is adding a new dimension to the science curriculum for those children who are interested in space.
Our Year 6 children also visit STEMFEST, which is held in the Newcastle Arena and where children are exposed to a variety of hands on STEM activities across the range of subjects. We want this to inspire our children to continue following STEM subjects through Key Stage 3 and 4 and eventually follow this through to employment if that is their motivation.