STEM
about having got something wrong at work can testify. You can feel judged and vulnerable, so it’s an area teachers need to approach with considerable sensitivity. Strategies include checking in at regular intervals to see how young people feel about their experience of learning maths and science subjects and adjusting teaching techniques accordingly, as well as providing encouraging feedback that helps position mistakes not as failures, but as positive steps in the learning experience that help students focus on how to get things right next time. Girls-only events, from coding clubs to maths competitions, can also make a difference, as can rethinking the language around STEM subjects, talking about the
characteristics that help contribute to success rather than couching everything in terms of exam results. Then there’s the fun dimension, from building marble runs to dropping eggs from a height and seeing which home- made protections make for a safe landing. Once again, it’s all about participation, trying things out and being comfortable with the result – successful or otherwise. What’s clear is that schools in our area are well prepared, with a range of imaginative strategies for encouraging every student – regardless of gender – to flourish, creating learning environments that build confidence and help transform risk-taking and mistakes into essential superpowers along the road to success.
22 AUTUMN/WINTER 2025
Powered by FlippingBook