Using STEM to raise achievement at KS4 David Melling Balshaw’s CE High School Assistant Head I/C Engineering Specialist School Status

Balshaw’s CE High School Situated in Leyland, Lancashire 11 to 16 voluntary controlled Church of England High School 925 pupils on role In % 5 A*/C 65% 5 A*/C including Maths and English

Balshaw’s CE High School An Engineering Specialist School since 2004 Redesignated September 2009 Last OFSTED June 2009 ‘Very good with outstanding features’

Balshaw’s CE High School in % A*/C including Maths and English 71% A*/C excluding Maths and English OFSTED due and redesignation Invited to be involved with the SSAT STEM Pathfinder program

After school STEM Club Identify the pupils to be involved with a specific focus Give the club an exciting challenge linked to the STEM subjects Form a STEM Club

Form the STEM Club Recruit a group of motivated and appropriate staff. Give staff time to plan and prepare Involve an industrial partner Make the Club feel special

Identify the pupils Use whatever criteria you want Hold a launch event Involve parents

Give the Club a challenge Use a project that fits you, your pupils, your colleagues and school Spend some money Keep it well resourced Hold an event/celebration to finish

Balshaw’s STEM Club 2009 The aim of the project was to work with a group of C/D borderline Y11 boys to maximise the possibility of them reaching C or above in the STEM subjects plus English

The STEM Kart Project 2009 How the project worked; The group met after school for 12 sessions leading up to their GCSE exams. The sessions were focused on the building of a off-road kart. Each session involved 30mins of building the kart and 30mins each of Science and Maths related to the kart.

The STEM Kart Project How the project worked; The pupils were be split into teams of 4. Refreshments were made available at the start of each session. Pupils agreed to the STEM code of conduct The project culminated with the STEM Grand Prix.

The beginning The project started with a visit to the manufacturer of the kart, Redwood Engineering. On returning to the school the kart kit was waiting for the pupils.