- City Hall investment helping pupils underrepresented in science, technology, engineering and maths workforce access these careers
- Sadiq’s London Scientist programme reaches 10k milestone during British Science Week
- Teachers kept classroom doors open and worked to make STEM projects accessible for young people during lockdown
The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has today announced that his initiative to nurture the next generation of scientists and engineers has helped more than 10,000 young Londoners.
Run in partnership with the British Science Association, the London Scientist programme inspires young people to investigate London's challenges – including projects to tackle air pollution or to support urban wildlife.
Since launching in 2018 with £70,000 investment from City Hall, the programme has funded primary and secondary schools with pupils who are underrepresented in science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) enabling them to complete CREST Awards - the top science award scheme in the country2 - for free.
The milestone was announced during UK Science Week which runs between 5 and 14 March and comes as research from the British Science Association showed a third of young people are now more likely to consider a scientific career as a result of the life-saving vaccine breakthrough during the pandemic, than they were before.1
The existing STEM skills gap costs the UK economy £6.3bn annually, yet women, many ethnic minorities, LGBTQ+ people, and people from poorer backgrounds are underrepresented in STEM jobs. Currently, 65 per cent of the STEM workforce are white men, while women make up only 27 per cent of the UK’s core STEM workforce.3
Sadiq targeted his investment in state schools in London where more than 30 per cent of pupils receive free school meals, or where 75 per cent of pupils are from ethnic minority backgrounds.
Schools for children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND), Pupil Referral Units and Alternative Provision settings in London have also been eligible for the funding to deliver student-led STEM projects.
Many of these specialist educational settings kept their doors open throughout the pandemic, enabling vulnerable young Londoners to improve not only their practical science skills, but their teamwork and problem-solving abilities too.
The closure of schools to most pupils during the pandemic hindered children’s opportunities to practice STEM skills, which is why the programme helped pupils, particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds, learn science remotely and helped to prepare them for face-to-face STEM learning again as schools reopen to all pupils.
The Mayor’s STEM webinar series also worked to keep the initiative going remotely during the pandemic, with more than 1,000 teachers, pupils and parents taking part last year.
The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said: “Some of the most fascinating jobs in the world are in science, technology, engineering or maths and I want to see pupils from all backgrounds considering a career in this area. I am humbled by the inspirational efforts of all the teachers and pupils involved in my London Scientist programme, which will open doors for pupils who have traditionally felt that the sciences are ‘not for them’ or have been unable to access the resources and support they need to consider a career in this area.
“We must continue to make sure all young people have the information, opportunities and support they need to pursue STEM education, training and jobs, and eliminate stereotypes based on gender, class, ethnicity, and disability.”
Katherine Mathieson, Chief Executive of the British Science Association, said: “I can think of no better way to mark British Science Week this year, than to celebrate the fantastic achievement of 10,000 CREST Awards as part of the Mayor’s London Scientist scheme.
“Since we began this partnership with the Greater London Authority in 2018, thousands of young people have had the opportunity to experience practical science where they have been put in the driving seat – leading their own projects and investigations, and ultimately experiencing what it is like to think and act like a scientist. It is especially encouraging to hear about the projects that have continued throughout the past year, even during lockdown. The ingenuity and perseverance that both the teachers and students involved in these projects have shown must be congratulated.”
Aletha Saunders, Science Leader at Redbridge Primary School, said: “Through this programme, our Year 3 children were able to engage with Science in a creative and purposeful way while learning at home. Using the CREST home learning resources, they carried out investigations using easily accessible materials and shared their learning with brothers, sisters and parents. They also used IT to record their work. We did lots of virtual visits and the children all loved the messy practical work!”
Two pupils from Year 3 at Redbridge Primary School completed the design, engineering and science ‘Bridge Blunder’ challenge at home during lockdown.
Inaaya, aged 8, said: “I liked working on the bridge project because it allowed me to use my imagination and try out new ideas. My sister gave me some weights to test the bridge. It was a lot of fun!”
Naba, aged 8, said: “I enjoyed making the bridge because it was so much fun designing it!”
Sara Atkinson, Science Teacher at Southwark Inclusive Learning Service, said: “The CREST projects have been a wonderful way of getting some of the vulnerable children out of their homes and actively engaged at school during the pandemic. Our school has stayed open to the students and to keep in touch with them about their projects during this time has been perfect.”
Dr Kerry Jaine Baker, London STEM Ambassador Hub Manager, said: “The London STEM Ambassador Hub is always delighted to partner with the GLA on inspirational STEM programmes. Working in collaboration we were able to provide opportunities for many of our STEM Ambassadors, people with STEM skills or working in STEM industries who volunteer to support STEM education, to engage repeatedly with young people across Greater London on STEM activities. We also linked with our local Science Learning Partnership to support the teachers with remote training opportunities, enabling them to bring enhanced STEM knowledge to all their pupils, this year and the next. By working as a team we have been able to provide a stronger STEM engagement for young people, teachers and the schools they attend.”
Lucinda Hunt, Director of the Royal Institution, said: “A personal journey with science can begin at any age, but it begins best with young people. So we are delighted to have been able to contribute to this outstanding project to support young people from communities that are under-represented in science. The opportunity to engage with the process of exploration is so important to developing confidence and critical thinking skills in the informed citizens, parents and leaders of tomorrow.”
Children from the Frederick Bremer School in Walthamstow also successfully completed STEM projects as part of the Mayor's London Scientist scheme:
Benedict from Year 10 said: “I was looking at biodiversity and found it really interesting. This opened up my eyes to a world of opportunities and projects that I can get involved with beyond school.”
Zaida from Year 10 said: “The Mayor’s London Scientist Project is a great way to learn about the world and the simple ways we can help the environment whilst being in school. I learnt from the research the ways we can help the environment with a small team of students. This was one of the easiest ways to make an impact within our immediate settings.”
Max from Year 7 said: "As I kept on researching on my project, it opened my eyes to how big the problem we are facing regarding sustainability in the world today. I found it very interesting to see how other countries are dealing with their sustainability issues."
Rose from Year 8 said: “This project was a fun way to learn more about the problems with carbon dioxide around our school.”
Notes to editors
1 The research was carried out by One Poll with a nationally representative sample of 1,000 14-18-year olds across the UK, surveyed between 1-15 October 2020 https://www.britishscienceassociation.org/news/new-survey-results-over-half-of-young-people-expect-that-covid-19-will-still-be-having-a-significant-impact-on-their-lives-in-up-to-two-years-time
2.The CREST Awards is the British Science Association’s flagship education scheme for science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM). It is a nationally recognised programme for student-led project work for young people aged 5–19, giving them the chance to choose their own subject and methodology for hands-on investigations.
CREST provides activities and project ideas for a range of ages, group size and abilities. From off-the-shelf, one-hour long challenges through to large-scale, student-led projects of over 70 hours work or more, the scheme can be done by anyone.
CREST has been running since 1986 and sees tens of thousands of young people taking part each year.
For more information, visit: www.crestawards.org
3Current Inquiry: Equity in the STEM workforce https://www.britishscienceassociation.org/inquiry-equity-in-the-stem-workforce
+ British Science Week is a 10-day programme of thousands of events running throughout the whole of the UK, from the 5 – 14 March, with the aim of celebrating science, engineering, technology and maths. With no restrictions on who can organise events, the topics on which they are focused, the audience or the venue, the resulting programme is a hugely varied and eclectic mix suitable for people of all ages and abilities.
British Science Week is coordinated by the British Science Association and is funded by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI).
To find activities taking place virtually and near you, as well as to download free resources and activity packs, visit www.britishscienceweek.org