Science education boost across three regions

13th September 2013

Science education experts at Sheffield Hallam University are training science teachers around the North of England, after winning the contract to run the network of Science Learning Centres in three regions.

The Department for Education gave the University's Centre for Science Education the contract to develop Science Learning Centre networks in Derbyshire, Yorkshire and the Humber and the North-East. The contract starts this month and will run until March 2015. John Wardle, director of the Centre for Science Education at Sheffield Hallam, said: "The aim of the scheme is to help teachers improve teaching and learning of science, and improve their classroom practice and subject knowledge, especially in cutting edge science. "We've set up eight science learning partnership schools around all three regions. We're now working with schools in those regions on meeting their needs, and helping develop their courses and materials. "Ultimately, we want to inspire teachers to inspire children in the classroom, and encourage children to take up science-related careers. To do that, we need to provide them with more exciting, stimulating and relevant science education." Since 2004 the Centre has successfully run the Science Learning Centre in Yorkshire and the Humber, delivering over 11,000 teacher training days. It has worked with 98 per cent of secondary schools and 20 per cent of primary schools in the region. The contract was awarded following a bid process, with bids invited from all Science Learning Centres. Under the new contract, Sheffield Hallam's Centre for Science Education is aiming to impact on 20 per cent of the 3,500 primary schools involved, and all 600 secondary schools. For more information about the Science Learning Centres network, go to www.sciencelearningcentres.org.uk