EDUCAT ION
Full STEAMAhead WE DISCOVER HOW LOCAL SCHOOLS ARE ADDING ARTS INTO THE STEM SUBJECT GROUP TO MAKE STEAM – AND WHY THIS APPROACH COULD BE A GAME CHANGER SCHOOLS SPECIAL
WORDS BY CHARLOTTE PHILLIPS
n addition to commemorating an amazing scientist and Covid-19 hero, the recent launch of the Sarah Gilbert Barbie doll also shows – if proof were needed – just how attitudes towards science and allied areas have changed. It’s a shift that was taking place well before the pandemic struck, as our regard for STEM subjects (that’s science, technology, engineering and mathematics), and the people who have mastered them, has soared. The impact of STEM subjects on the learning experience has been extraordinary. In 2019, sciences were more popular with girls than boys, based on the numbers sitting them at A-level, while in 2020, the top A-levels across the board for all pupils
were maths, psychology, biology and chemistry. Part of that is down to the huge amount of work in our area’s schools to bring STEM subjects out of the lab, off the blackboard and into the limelight. And quite right, too, given their importance not just to the young people who are studying them, but to the world and humanity as a whole. A couple of decades back, there was a sense that maths and sciences were losing their popularity. It was essential to find new ways of engaging young people in these subjects, with their relevance growing as the world became ever-more reliant on technology. What didn’t help was the traditional approach that kept different subjects in their little boxes separate.
SPARKING CREATIVITY A new building will keep STEAM subjects under one roof at Gresham’s (above), while Stoke College (below) has a keen focus on empathy
CAMBSEDITION.CO.UK SEPTEMBER 2021 77
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