Regional STEM Conference - London
On June 10th senior leaders from schools and colleges across the London region came to BP's international headquarters for the first of a series of regional STEM conferences - 'Driving success through STEM' - supported by members of Business in the Community.
Colleagues who attended the event may find extended links to resources and schemes referred to during the event here.
Speaker presentations from the conference can be accessed through the links on the left-hand side of this page.
The event invitation promised an opportunity to engage with the co-ordinated network of STEM support in the London region. Heads and Principals discussed priorities for STEM education with fellow senior leaders from fifty schools and colleges, NCETM, National STEM Centre, OfSTED, Science Learning Centres, and STEMNET.
In addition we heard inspiring accounts of the school/college-wide benefits that a focus on STEM subjects can give from Frank McLoughlin, Principal of City and Islington College, and Gordon Smith, Head of Riddlesdown High School - film clips from Frank and Gordon's presentations will be available on this website shortly.
Listening to the event several themes seemed to emerge:
- The important recognition that the STEM agenda in schools and colleges is not simply about cross-curricular work - rather it begins with strong specialist subject teaching and learning.
- From this base departmental collaboration, including development of cross-curricular experiences, helps young people appreciate how individual STEM subjects work together in business and industry - where maths, science and design & technology lead you.
- The ongoing need for up to date, accessible STEM careers information, advice and guidance.
- A call for more centralised signposting to STEM support for schools and colleges - it is our intention that the National STEM Centre website will fulfil this need.
I'd be very interested in others' views on these priorities. Similar events will be running in other regions during 2010/11.
- Frank McLoughlin's presentation
- Gordon Smith's presentation
- Jenifer Burden's presentation
- John Holman's presentation
- Workshop - Ian Richardson HMI
- Workshop - Mary Ratcliffe and Tim Stirrup
- Peter Stagg's presentation
- Kandarp Thakkar's presentation
- Ian Duffy's presentation
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