Wealden Hub - STEM
Benenden leads a hub of local schools within the Weald of Kent. Utilising the resources of the school we have sought to offer excellent support, training and resources to our colleagues in a wide range of schools. Over the year we run a number of workshops, a convention and individual STEM support, from teacher led activities to specialist equipment and supplies.
Aims
Through the Wealden Hub - STEM initiative we aim to provide access to STEM activities to the widest selection of Primary and Secondary schools in the West Kent region and beyond.
As the Tunbridge Wells Odgen Trust hub lead we have a history of supporting and facilitating Physics events.
https://www.ogdentrust.com/school-partnerships/partnership-list/tunbridge-wells-partnership/
Benenden have recently created a new post to lead Primary school engagement, the three key aims:
1) To build on the existing primary partnerships that have been established and to further extend and develop them moving forward over the next 3 years.
2) To develop new partnership links with small primary schools
3) To foster a love of science and STEM in children form a young age
Background
The STEM department at Benenden has been active in partnership work for many years.
Resources
The Hub provides specialist equipment, teaching packs, chemicals, teacher training, leading of workshops both at Benenden and at partner schools - using the pupil science ambassadors. Taking advantage of the recent move to virtual events we also seek to share online events, an example in the last year was a panel discussion discussion by the team behind the Astra-zenaca vaccine.
The recent STEM Con event provided not only an opportunity for pupils across schools to present on their own projects but it gave them access to national level specialists through the keynote speaker and high level scientists who shared their research. We aim to always have an excellent quality to our events. The speakers for our past event were:
Professor Kevin Moffat - University of Warwick, editor of the Biological Sciences Review
Dr Laura Mahoney-Sanchez - Postdoctoral researcher at UCL and The Francis Crick Institute
Dr Maggie Aderin-Pocock MBE - BBC Host of 'The Sky at Night' and founder of Science Innovation
There are no costs to our partner schools in any of our initiatives.
Impact
There is a mixed method to assess the impact - on the quantitative side this is calculated by the statistics of those involved and the total financial cost. In the year 2021 - 22, over 15 schools have been involved with over 100 students attending the STEM Con Oct 2022.
On the qualitative side we receive excellent testimonials, outlining the value of the activities which have been created.
Pupil Involvement
Benenden Pupil STEM ambassdors are involved with planning large events, hosting partner schools and deonstrating techniques.
We provide opportunities from Y6 - Y13.
Frequency
Schools visits and in-house workshops happen on a termly basis. Over the summer holidays individual staff volunteered at two primary schools.
The STEM-Con event is an annual initiative.