Mark Richards is a scientist and a DJ (DJ Kemist). He was born in Nottingham in 1970 to parents who had emigrated from Jamaica and remembers successfully 'battling with the boffins' at his comprehensive school, often coming top in chemistry.

Following a degree in chemistry, he has worked (getting a PhD along...

The National Association for Environmental Education promotes environmental education and helps educators improve the quality of their teaching and their students' learning, in relation to environmental and sustainability issues.

This collection of resources looks at how environmental education can be...

The Education Reform Act of 1988 established, amongst other things, the idea of a National Curriculum (NC) for England, Wales and Northern Ireland. The National Curriculum set out to “promote the spiritual, moral, cultural, mental and physical development of pupils at the school and of society”; and “prepare such...

Following the establishment of the 1989 National Curriculum (NC) for science, the National Curriculum Council made recommendations to the Secretary of State regarding the revision of Attainments Targets (AT) for science. This document sets out the recommendations for the 1991 NC. The key ideas included:

*A...

Prior to 1989 subjects such as CDT (Craft, Design and Technology - still then often called woodwork, metalwork and technical drawing in schools), Home Economics, Textiles (or Needlework) and Electronics were all separate subjects in secondary schools.

Since the introduction of the first National Curriculum...

Outlined in March 1985 (Science 5-16: A statement of policy DES), one intention of the National Curriculum was that all students aged 5 to 16 learn science – so there should be ‘Science for All’ in primary and secondary level education. The science taught should include both the ‘methods of science’ and the...

In 2015-16, the regional Network has been found to have sustained a strong upward trajectory in the amount of CPD that it is delivering, increasing its level of CPD delivery by 45% compared to 2014-15, and surpassing the levels of CPD delivery achieved in previous years.  

The Network has also forged new...

Published in July 2015, this report from the ISOS Partnership evaluates the implementation and impact of the third phase of the National Science Learning Network’s regional programme.

The full collection of STEM Learning impact and evaluation research reports can be viewed...

Ideas and resources for STEM activities for National Tree Week for primary and secondary pupils.

This collection includes a set of resources which use the context of trees to help teach areas of mathematics and science.  They include:

• Using counting trees as an example of how to estimate populations
• articles from the popular Catalyst magazine about horse chestnut trees
• a Crest...

A study published in 2012 showed that possessing greater general knowledge about the brain does not appear to protect teachers from believing in “neuromyths” – misconceptions about neuroscience research in education. A study in Frontiers in Psychology found that teachers who are interested in the application of...

Ofsted is the Office for Standards in Education, Children’s Services and Skills. Ofsted reports directly to Parliament and is independent and impartial. They inspect and regulate services that care for children and young people, and those providing education and skills for learners of all ages.

Each week...

Outdoor classroom day is part of a campaign to ensure that young people spend some time outdoors every day. So that schools can participate on a day that fits with their term dates, the UK and Ireland campaign celebrates Outdoor classroom cay twice each year, in May and November.

This study unit offers some practical strategies that teachers use to improve the climate for learning. The techniques suggested are tried and tested; they draw on both academic research and the experience of practising teachers.

This study unit offers some practical strategies that teachers, particularly those who are newly qualified (NQTs), can use to improve their understanding and selection of different teaching models. The unit provides strategies to develop teaching skills, practical tips...