FT attends launch of NEW Astro/Space Education Schools.

Paul Roche and Sarah Roberts took part in the launch of a new type of
specialist school in England this week, at an event held at the
Rutherford Appleton Lab near Oxford. They spoke to the 30 newly created
‘Leading Space Education Programme’ schools about the opportunities
offered by the Faulkes Telescope Project, both in terms of
observational astronomy (real-time and via the archive) but also from
the online training and other educational projects. The LSEP teachers
were also treated to a demo of the Impact Calculator, part of the Down
to Earth project (http://down2earth.eu) that has been developed by FT as part of an STFC Science Centre award with the National Museum of Wales.

The LSEP schools will receive additional funds to allow them to act as
beacons of good practice in the area of astronomy and space science,
and we hope many of them will be working with FT over the next few
years. Other speakers at the launch event included Dr. Maggie Aderin
(Astrium/MSSL), Anu Oja (National Space Centre), and teachers Becky
Parker (Simon Langton Grammar School, Canterbury) and Mike Grocott
(Callington Space Centre), so the LSEP teachers were exposed to a range
of inspirational talks covering a wide range of topics that will be of
interest to their students.

For more information on the new specialist schools scheme, see the STFC/SSAT press release below.

A unique new scheme to use the excitement of space to teach science,
technology, engineering and maths (STEM) in specialist secondary
schools in England has been over-subscribed. Starting Tuesday 14th
October 2008, thirty ‘space schools’ across the country will take part
in the two year ‘Leading Space Education Programme’ funded by the
Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC) and run by the
Specialist Schools and Academies Trust (SSAT).

The scheme will support schools to develop teaching approaches using space as contexts and applications to engage students.

Lord Drayson, Minister of State for Science and Innovation, said: 

“Space exploitation captures children’s imagination.
The schools which have been selected for this scheme have been chosen
because of the exciting ways they intend to use space across the
different subjects to inspire children in the classroom.

 

If we can demonstrate to children the
interesting challenges that scientists and engineers face when
designing a mission to Mars for example and relate this to their own
work in the classroom, we can start a lifelong passion that will
motivate students to study these subjects at GCSE, A-level and beyond.

 

If we can keep hold of this excitement, we
can create a new skilled generation with exciting careers ahead of them
in the technologies, sciences and engineering that underpin modern
living.

 

Space science isn’t just about the
technology needed to send a rocket into space, the technologies
developed have practical applications for all of us, a simple example
would be the GPS in most of our cars.

 

Space research can also help us to
understand some of the most pressing challenges we all face – our
understanding of climate change is already being furthered by
satellites and the orbiting space station which monitor meteorological
patterns.” 

The Leading Space Education Programme is being launched with a
teachers’ conference hosted at the Science and Technology Facilities
Council (STFC) Rutherford Appleton Laboratory in Oxfordshire. STFC not
only hosts specialist facilities at its Space Science and Technology
Department, but also pays the UK membership of the European Space
Agency and funds the UK’s space science programme. The programme
includes missions to study the Sun, search for evidence of life on Mars
and understand our place in the solar system. This expertise puts STFC
at the heart of exciting space projects and opportunities that capture
the imagination of students.

Professor Keith Mason, CEO of STFC said

“Space is a subject in which the UK excels. By taking
the UK’s expertise in Space into the classroom, we can inspire the next
generation to unleash their talents in science, engineering and
technology, encouraging the skilled work forces we need both in science
and the UK economy more widely.” 

Over 70 schools applied to join the scheme, providing first plans on
how they would use ‘space’ in their teaching. The 30 selected schools
will be using space as a theme to develop lessons, cross-subject
collaboration, learning resources and enrichment activities with the
aim of enthusing their students about science.

For example they will

• have access to existing resources from STFC, NASA and ESA education programmes

• use space education to enrich the teaching and learning of STEM subjects and skills across the curriculum

• create innovative space activities, such as space clubs that involve parents and the wider community

• support primary and secondary teachers with using space education through developing pedagogy and providing resources

• partner with the space industry and higher education to enliven space education

They will then share their experience with local secondary
schools and feeder primary schools. In return schools will receive
support, resources and opportunities to meet with and visit those
working in space research and industry.

Elizabeth Reid, Chief Executive of the Specialist Schools and Academies Trust said:

“By getting students excited about science, technology,
engineering and maths we can increase participation and raise
achievement. That is why this programme is so important.

By using the wonder of space and space travel, schools will develop
innovative lessons and teaching resources, as well as a wide range of
activities such as school trips that engage students in these subjects
and provide them with the opportunity to fulfil their potential.”

Participant schools from across the regions of England have been
selected from specialist science, technology and engineering colleges
that have extensive experience of curriculum innovation and school to
school support.

The SSAT’s programme will enable teachers to develop teaching practice
and share innovative approaches with each other across local, regional
and national networks of schools.

The selected schools will receive support and resources connected with
space activities and in return, agree to develop and share their
expertise in space with local secondary schools and feeder primary
schools.