First school in York and North Yorkshire to receive the accolade, presented by National Railway Museum and STEM Ambassador Hub.
All Saints Roman Catholic School in York has received a prestigious award in recognition of its success in teaching STEM (science technology engineering and mathematics) subjects.
The school is the first in York and across North Yorkshire to receive the ‘Excellence in STEM’ award from the National Railway Museum.
Based on a rigorous twelve-month assessment, the school met seven criteria which include running regular extra-curricular activities, maintaining strong links with businesses and industry, use of STEM Ambassador volunteers and promoting STEM in the wider community.
A good example of this work includes a training programme that has been put in place in collaboration with local primary schools as the lead school in the Diocese of Middlesbrough Teaching Schools Alliance.
A certificate and trophy was presented to the Science Department at All Saints School by Stella Chan, STEM Ambassador Engagement Officer for North Yorkshire and York from the STEM Ambassador Hub Transpennine at a ceremony this week.
The presentation took place at the inaugural York Schools Science Fair hosted by All Saints School and organised by Dr Ruth Burke, which was attended by students, staff and business representatives from York and the surrounding area.
The event, held in the run up to International Women in Engineering Day later this month, gave pupils aged 11-15 the chance to present their latest science projects and to learn more about STEM subjects.
As part of the fair, the National Railway Museum also ran a special event called ‘People Like Me’ aimed at encouraging and inspiring teenage girls to consider careers in traditionally male-dominated industries such as engineering.
National research shows that 92 per cent of engineers are male, 94 per cent are white and only one third of parents know what an engineer does – underlining the need to encourage more young people into STEM careers.
Bill Scriven, Head of All Saints, said:
"We are very proud of the students and STEM staff - Science, Maths, IT, Technology - who have worked hard in their free time to contribute to today and make it a success. High quality STEM provision and development is at the heart of our Teaching School Alliance. STEM subjects are so vital for the UK economy of the future and we are working to ensure that our students are equipped with the skills they need to contribute to a changing, and increasingly technology-based job market.
“This event has been a great way to showcase this fantastic work being developed by our staff with our students, and to ensure that when our students leave here, they will have the skills they need for the future."
There are over 500 volunteer STEM Ambassadors in North Yorkshire who work to bring STEM subjects to life and to demonstrate their value in life and careers. The National Railway Museum is part of STEM Ambassador Hub Transpennine, who coordinate the regional STEM Ambassador programme on behalf of STEM Learning – the largest UK provider of STEM education and careers support.
Lynne Minett, Head of Learning and Events at the National Railway Museum, said:
“I would like to congratulate staff and pupils at All Saints School. Receiving this award is a real achievement and certainly something to be proud of. I hope this will inspire other schools to take part and to develop their expertise in STEM subjects.
“The National Railway Museum works closely with schools and teachers across the region, hosting more than 40,000 school visitors last year and running free events such as Future Engineers. We are developing a new STEM-focused schools programme which we look forward to rolling out soon and this will complement the development of our new digital learning resources.”
Chief Executive Yvonne Baker from STEM Learning which has its National Training Centre in York, said:
“Many congratulations to everyone involved for their essential roles in this programme. It is a great example of the partnership working that is taking place with young people to inspire them into following these subjects and for us to reduce the STEM skills shortage pipeline.”
Ends
For more information, please contact Simon Baylis, PR & Communications Manager
Email: simon.baylis@railwaymuseum.org.uk
Call: 01904 686 299
About the National Railway Museum
- The National Railway Museum in York has the largest collection of railway objects in the world and attracts more than 750,000 visitors per year
- The collection includes over 260 locomotives and rolling stock, 600 coins and medals as well as railway uniform and costume, equipment, documents, records, artwork and photographs
- The National Railway Museum forms part of the Science Museum Group, along with the Science Museum in London, the Museum of Science and Industry in Manchester, the National Science and Media Museum in Bradford and Locomotion in Shildon
- Admission to the National Railway Museum is free
- For more information visit the National Railway Museum website
- For information on teaching resources visit the Science Museum Group learning resources website
About All Saints Roman Catholic School
- Located in the heart of the historic City of York, our outstanding split-site school offers excellence in education for predominantly Catholic communities within a 25-mile radius
- Our GCSE and A level results are in the top 25% of UK schools and our thriving Sixth Form, whose results are in the top 10% of the country, is accessible to students of any denomination provided they meet our entrance criteria
- Steeped in history, we are immensely proud that our school is unique in its learning environment, its people and its ethos
- For more information, visit the All Saints Roman Catholic School website
About STEM Ambassadors
- STEM Ambassadors are volunteers from a wide range of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) related jobs and disciplines across the UK. They offer their time and enthusiasm to help bring STEM subjects to life and demonstrate the value of them in life and careers
- For more information, visit the STEM Learning website