STEM
Creating an environment which develops a love of learning
The STEM Nation Award was developed by Education Scotland to celebrate, promote and build on effective practice in STEM education within and across sectors. The programme is currently open to all early learning and childcare settings, primary schools, secondary schools and community learning and development providers in Scotland.
The formal curriculum is just a small aspect of school life at Kirkcudbright Academy, students are given the opportunity to develop further interests in a wide are of activities.
Our STEM program gives our students the chance to put their experiences and knowledge of subject across Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths into action. Students are provided with a variety of activities and problems to solve working as a team.
These opportunities generate a genuine interest in the range of STEM subjects and activities available throughout the school and encourage many of our students to follow a career in Engineering and the Sciences.
Following a visit from Education Scotland’s STEM Nation Team Kirkcudbright Academy was praised for the positive impact that #STEM is having on raising aspirations and challenging gender stereotypes.
The setting engaged with professional learning in equity and equality exploring alternative strategies to lesson delivery and attainment opportunities for all. Part of this work has led to an interactive series of STEM lessons call Let Toys be Toys, a challenging gendered toys campaign.
The setting successfully secured funding to provide all pupils from S1-S3 with STEM career specific challenges that included a broad range of STEM careers that may not have previously been considered.
There is an embedded programme of activities in place to further enhance and develop pupils’ employability skills within a STEM context. This includes a partnership approach to involving local businesses and there is long established partnerships with Glasgow and Edinburgh universities, the Dark Space Planetarium and numerous other partners to support and embed STEM learning and career opportunities.
Kirkcudbright Academy also engages well with families through interactive family STEM challenges and the creation of a pupil led YouTube channel, which includes how to videos that learners have made to support pupils, families and the wider community on all things technology and STEM related.
