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Mayor's London Scientist

The Mayor's London Scientist Programme

The Mayor’s London Scientist engages young Londoners in Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) through project-based learning in schools.

Please note that this programme came to an end in August 2021.

Take a look here for information on available funding.

The programme funds all eligible primary and secondary schools in London to complete CREST Awards for free, saving schools up to £5 per child with no cap on pupil numbers.

Fully Funded CREST Awards

The CREST awards we fund are:

  • Superstar - 8 x 1 hour fun STEM challenges (ages 7-11)

  • Discovery - 1-day introduction to STEM project work (ages 10-14)

  • Bronze - 10-hour project solving a real-life STEM problem (ages 11+)

If your school is eligible but you have not received a voucher code, please claim it by emailing [email protected].

Eligibility

The programme focuses on young people from backgrounds that are currently underrepresented in STEM. Your school is eligible if it is a non-selective state school in London that fulfils either of the below criteria:

  • 30%+ students are eligible for Free School Meals
  • 75%+ students have ethnic minority backgrounds
  • SEND school
  • Pupil Referral Unit or Alternative Provider

How it works

All eligible schools have been sent a voucher code by email. This voucher code can be used upon checkout at www.crestawards.org and will make all awards free of charge.

Not received a voucher code? Email us at [email protected].

Any non-selective state school in London that meets at least one of the following criteria can participate:

  • 30%+ students are eligible for Free School Meals
  • 75%+ students have ethnic minority backgrounds
  • SEND school
  • Pupil Referral Unit or Alternative Provider

Voucher codes were emailed to all eligible schools in September 2020. If your school is eligible but have not received a code, please email us at [email protected].

Research suggests that participating in CREST has a particularly positive impact on students from underrepresented backgrounds. A three-year pilot looking at students from low-income and BAME backgrounds found that:

  • Participating in CREST had a positive impact on students’ transferrable skills, such as problem-solving, decision-making, self-management and teamwork
  • Participating in CREST had a positive impact on students' motivation
  • 90% of teachers expected a positive impact on students' attainment
  • 90% of teachers thought that attitudes to STEM subjects had been improved
  • 85% thought that CREST had positively impacted on students’ aspirations in STEM

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