We must encourage young people’s curiosity in science and history
Beth Stone, Head of Learning and Audiences at the Natural History Museum, discusses with QA Education editor Victoria Galligan how the iconic venue inspires the next generation of STEM experts… Q&A with the Natural History Museum Can you give an example of a lesson/visit where a school surprised you? We’re constantly surprised by the students that attend our workshops. Recently we had KS1 students attend our Super Stegosaurus workshop, who had only recently transitioned from nursery. We were delighted to see how engaged they were on the concept of fossils and palaeontology and their use of the complex vocabulary at such a young age. This means the workshop experience often doubles as a summary of the unit they’ve just been taught, or it is used as a springboard to introduce a new unit. Similarly, the creation of pre and post-visit resources are hugely beneficial to students as it means our workshops can be used to support student’s project or as a knowledge testing exercise. What should schools be doing to ensure the scientists of the future are being challenged? Scientists of the future face numerous challenges such as climate change, biodiversity loss, food and water security and how to supply our global energy needs – all of which have been exacerbated by climate change and our growing populations. It’s therefore paramount that we encourage young people’s curiosity and interest in science and natural history as they’ll be the ones continuing to tackle these challenges in the future. Schools therefore have a huge role to play here and this is why we’re passionate about working with educators to instil what we call ‘scientific habits of mind’. This idea is about encouraging curiosity, critical thinking, collaboration, creativity, visualising and modelling – skills that are essential in science but also crucial skills for the world of work. We see it as our job as a museum to empower educators and students to develop these behaviours and skills and broaden their understanding of science and the natural world. One of the ways in which schools can maintain this curiosity for science in their students, is through technology. For example, our partnership with Dell allows us to support and inspire younger generations with technology-supported learning. Our Dippy’s Naturenauts app helps spark curiosity about the past, present and future by setting them various explorative tasks that encourage them to explore the natural world. We hope that through our workshops, museum experience and through our technology partnership, we can attract a wider diversity of students to STEM subjects and highlight just how many careers the world of science supports. After all, we don’t have a lot of time in which to make a difference, so there’s a real sense of urgency in tackling this now. Do you feel primary science should be tested at Years 2 and 6 like maths and English? The most important thing for us is that science, remains as important as key subjects such as English and maths. We want to help support all teachers, especially those that perhaps don’t have a specialism in science and are therefore less confident, so they can encourage their students to develop scientific habitats of mind and go on to be scientifically literate adults. By encouraging students to develop a healthy scepticism, and by giving them the ability to understand evidence and analyse its value, we can help them develop useful life skills. In order to do this, we’ve found that enquiry-based learning is great at building students’ confidence. However, students are still being put off science due to out of date stereotypes. Recent research from King’s College found that students can be put off by the brainy image of scientists as they don’t think they are clever enough to excel. We therefore need to challenge this typecast at a much earlier stage of development – as if we wait until secondary school, we’ll have already lost a great many potential scientists, researchers and experts. For more information on booking a trip to the Natural History Museum, see nhm.ac.uk
Music & Drama Education Expo at Olympia, London
Music & Drama Education Expo is returning to Olympia, London for its seventh year on 6 & 7 March 2019. The event is Europe’s leading free-to-attend conference and exhibition for music and drama education. An event perfectly tailored for teachers and those passionate about the creative sector is right at your fingertips. Register now for Music & Drama Education Expo by clicking here. What you can expect: 70+ CPD workshops, seminars and debates from expert speakers, teachers and practitioners A comprehensive exhibition with stands from more than 130 leading performing arts organisations Peer-to-peer learning sessions, to share best practice and get advice from your peers on particular areas of pedagogy Music and drama performances showcasing the talents of young people Listen to big names in the industry speak at our show such as; LangLang, Nicola Benedetti, Miloš Karadaglić, and loads more expert speakers. View the entire conference programme here! Expo offers over 70 free-to-attend CPD sessions covering both music and drama education – with practical workshops on body percussion, stage combat, street dance and dhol drumming; as well as seminars on the new piano and brass syllabuses, assessment at KS3, gender and sexuality in classroom drama, writing A-level essays, devising using practitioners, celebrating creativity in young people with additional needs, rap, DJing and music production. ‘Our London 2019 show will be the best yet’, said head of content Sarah Lambie. Exhibitors are already lined up from all over the arts education world: suppliers, exam boards, publishers and other organisations will all be on hand with advice and special offers. If you have a passion for music and drama education, this is an event you won’t want to miss! Join us on 6 & 7 March, where you can learn how to take your teaching to the next level at the cost of nothing. Make sure to book your free ticket below so you don’t miss out. Click here to register for FREE
KidZania London STEAMs into October
Launching Friday 5 to Sunday 7 October, KidZania London – the indoor city run by kids at Westfield London, Shepherd’s Bush – will be hosting an action-packed STEAM Week, inspiring kids to develop their skills across science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics. With 2018 seeing the launch of the government’s Year of Engineering campaign, of which KidZania is an official partner, there has been an increased focus towards recognizing and celebrating STEM subjects and careers spanning science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. However, KidZania also recognises that the demand for arts resources has also rocketed, as teachers are increasingly championing the importance of creative thinking and visual learning in the classroom. The three-day STEAM festival will look to merge these disciplines together, demonstrating that no matter where children’s strengths are, whether its number crunching or a way with words, there are careers and opportunities out there for everyone to explore. From STEAM-themed world record challenges with Guinness World Records Live, to slimy Jelly Belly X-ray operations with PDSA and structure building workshops with Engineering Development Trust, there will be fun and educational workshops to bring the school syllabus to life – whether that’s on a school trip or a weekend visit with the family. Eddie Kemsley, CEO at KidZania comments: “Embracing creativity through the arts is something we positively encourage at KidZania – whether through our Book of The Month Activity with Little Tiger, inspiring even the most reluctant book worms, to our music academy and dance studio. We are hugely excited to be incorporating this into our existing STEM focus, to really demonstrate the wide variety of subjects and career opportunities out there. She continues: Not everyone can be great at numbers or science, but as some of the most innovative engineerable solutions have been developed by creative thinkers, it’s important for us to be able to showcase the importance of arts subjects too.” Exciting partnership activities include: Take the Guinness World Record Challenge 5th – 7th October Does your child have what it takes to be the next Guinness World Record Holder? KidZania’s Guinness World Record Live event will put kids to the test with one of three STEAM-themed world record challenges. Jelly Belly Operation at PDSA – Saturday 6th October Join PDSA for a fun and interactive Jelly Belly Operation. Examine X- rays and find the foreign bodies in our pet patient’s slimy stomach! Design and Build with the Engineering Development Trust 5th – 7th October Come and get involved in one of our fun ‘hands on’, design, build and test challenges with the Engineering Development Trust.. KidZania believes in ‘Learning by Doing’. By bringing the classroom to life in the city, it aims to boost children’s curiosity and imagination through curriculum-based real-life activities. To book tickets for your school trip now, please email schools@kidzania.co.uk or call 0330 131 3335. See KidZania.co.uk for more details. Twitter – @KidZaniaLondon Instagram – @KidZaniaLondon Facebook – /KidZaniaLondon Pricing: Access to all additional activities is included in the entrance price £14 per child. Reduced pricing available for schools with a high Pupil Premium level Learning outcomes: KS1 – KS2 Science KS1 – KS3 Maths, Art, Design & Technology and PSHE About KidZania London: At KidZania London, children can take part in real-life adventures. Spanning across 75,000 square feet, KidZania is an amazing indoor city built just for kids! KidZania provides children with the opportunity try out a variety of real life role-play activities from being a firefighter, journalist to a surgeon. Each role-play is developed to teach kids essential life skills including financial literacy, teamwork and independence. Designed to empower and entertain kids, KidZania gives them the chance to challenge themselves and gets children thinking about which career they may pursue in the future. KidZania is a unique role-play experience for 4-14 year olds, blending learning with reality and entertainment.
Mayor’s Fund for London supports legal education project with primary schools in London
Almost 1000 primary school pupils have gained an insight into the workings of the justice system through taking part in the Mayor’s Fund for London Theatre of Law project during this academic year. This innovative legal education project is delivered by the National Centre for Citizenship and the Law (NCCL) who have an education team based at the Royal Courts of Justice in London. The project works with primary school pupils from London and aims to improve students’ understanding of the law and the contemporary justice system. The project consists of two days – one at school and one at the Royal Courts of Justice. At the start of the project, pupils are asked to consider how much they know about what happens to someone who breaks the law and how much they know about the different people who work within the legal system. This is then reassessed at the end of the project, usually resulting in a positive increase in knowledge, awareness and aspirations to see the law and related areas as a future career possibility. Matthew Patten, CEO Mayor’s fund for London said: “Working with young people to understand the law and their role in society at an early age is essential to ensure they play a full part in London’s future. Theatre of Law meets this need and promotes social and emotional skills that underpin effective learning and positive behaviour.” During the Mayor’s Fund for London Theatre of Law project, pupils work on creative crime stories inspired by real cases, learn about the consequences of crime, write scripts to prepare for their mock trial at the Royal Courts of Justice and debate punishments. The project aims to improve participants’ knowledge and understanding of the justice system and the consequences of what happens when someone breaks the law. It helps pupils gain an insight into the workings of the justice system and the roles of legal professionals, encouraging students to raise their aspirations to see the law and related areas as a future career possibility. Pollie Shorthouse, Executive Director, NCCL said: “The professional environment of the Royal Courts of Justice is an ideal venue for this project and allows pupils to learn more about crime and punishment and the legal system as they explore real courtrooms. The Mayor’s Fund for London Theatre of Law project provides opportunities to enhance knowledge and understanding of the law among young Londoners and to raise aspirations. This is something we are very passionate about.” One primary school participant told the NCCL team that through the project they had learned: “How many people can be affected by a crime… I didn’t understand how serious crime can be”. Theatre of Law participants are encouraged to develop a variety of important life, literacy and social skills through their involvement in the project. This includes attainment in spoken language, reading and writing, analysis, confidence, public speaking, debating and team work. The project also includes a set of comprehensive resources for schools to use throughout and legal education experts from NCCL are on hand to support and guide pupils in all activities. A teacher from Parkwood Primary School, London stated that the best part of the project was that: “It helped the children to understand the legal process – and getting to see a real court was fantastic. It was also very good that the judge who spoke to us was female.” This helps reduce stereotypes. Another teacher from Roe Green Primary School, London commented: “We really enjoy it and find that it gives the children a really clear idea of law and how the court works.” Schools interested in taking part in future Theatre of Law workshops should contact: london@nccl.org.uk or call 0207 947 7047. Theatre of Law is available for primary schools across London with above average free school meal eligibility. The project is funded by the Mayor’s Fund for London which means that schools only have to contribute £9 per pupil.
£44 MILLION OFF-SITE SCHEME STARTS ON SITE IN EAST LONDON
The £44 million Riverside Schools off-site project – the largest ever in the education sector – has started on site in Barking. The scheme for the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham was awarded to the Portakabin Group and is using a Yorkon off-site solution to deliver an innovative three-school campus. Now under construction, the 23,000sqm Riverside Schools campus will provide places for 2,645 children from 0-19 years on a six hectare site. The development will integrate provision for nursery, primary, special needs, secondary, and sixth form pupils, and will be operated by the multi-academy trust, Partnership Learning. The Portakabin Group is the main contractor for this pioneering project. The contract was procured and awarded by the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham via the Council’s local education partnership, Thames Partnership for Learning. It is funded by the Education Funding Agency. Commenting at the ground breaking, Councillor Evelyn Carpenter, Cabinet Member for Education and Schools at the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham said, “I am very proud of the team for progressing the project so robustly. The off-site solution will help us to very quickly meet the urgent need for school places and deliver more outstanding schools in a good quality and modern educational environment. This will add to our ongoing work to help every child in Barking and Dagenham realise their highest aspirations.” Simon Ambler, Director of the Portakabin Group said, “This is our seventh project for the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham and follows on from the two earlier phases on the City Farm site near to the Riverside Schools campus, that are now in use. The scheme is one of the largest school projects now under construction in the UK and will create much needed additional school places for one of the fastest growing school-age populations in the country.” He added, “We are delighted to be part of a major development that will be at the heart of a vibrant new community with design-inspired public places and amenities.” Designed by Surface to Air and constructed using a Yorkon off-site solution for the curriculum areas, the scheme comprises an 1,800-place secondary school, a 630-place primary school, a special educational needs (SEN) school, and a 55-place nursery. The use of off-site construction will significantly reduce the programme time. The structure is now in production in York at the same time as the major ground works are progressed on site in East London. The project has been scheduled to complete the primary and SEN facilities at an earlier stage, in time for the start of the 2016/17 academic year to meet the urgent demand for places in the borough. The rest of the campus will be completed late Spring 2017. The Riverside Schools scheme is being developed in the Barking Riverside regeneration area, which is close to Barking town centre and part of the Thames Gateway development. Early phases of substantial housebuilding have already been completed with further plans for 12,000 new homes increasing the need for education provision. For further information about off-site building solutions from the Portakabin Group for primary and secondary education, call 0845 2000 123, email info@yorkon.co.uk or visit www.yorkon.info.