Engineering STEM Learning is a PGCert and Professional Recognition programme worth 60 Master’s-level credits at the University of Strathclyde designed for teachers in Early Years, Primary and Secondary, and lecturers at FE colleges, who wish to develop their understanding of and teaching in STEM.

In this course, delivered by Primary Engineer in partnership with the University of Strathclyde, educators engage in Master’s level study and complete a cycle of action research within their setting. This is an online course with optional twilight sessions. Download a guide to the course or contact us for more information

Reception teachers and Early Years practitioners

Introduction to inquiry based learning through a series of practical projects in order to encourage early years pupils to become STEM investigators.

The course will provide examples that can be easily developed in the school and use low cost readily available materials. Delegates will share their pedagogical approaches, skills and experiences.

KS1/Lower Primary teachers and KS2/Upper Primary Teachers

This course covers the safe and correct use of tools, materials and basic electrics in the manufacture of a range of vehicles.

Working to a specification, two design and construction projects. Delegates will share their pedagogical approaches, skills and experiences, construct their own vehicles to use as exemplars. Pupil outcomes are invited to Celebration Events.

KS2/Upper Primary Teachers

Delegates extend their manufacturing skills into 3D and introduce more advanced electrics through the manufacture of lifting and lowering devices.

It extends the manufacturing into 3D structures and their structural safety. It also introduces more advanced electrics through there practical study of parallel and series circuits and gearboxes. Delegates will manufacture a working lifting and lowering device with the opportunity to use their design skills to personalise their outcomes.

KS2/Upper Primary teachers

Delegates will be introduced to 3D printing as one of the tools and concepts to extend and develop learning and experiences in a STEM context. It will introduce the basics of 3D Computer Aided Design (CAD) and 3D printing through practical activities.

The technologies allow for impossible parts to be manufactured and the course introduces the concept through the use of freely available 3D design software. The delegates models are then prepared for manufacture before the 3D printing process takes place. The course gives delegates ample time to investigate this exciting technology and how it can be integrated into the school environment, with or without a 3d printer.

KS1/Lower Primary and KS2/Upper Primary teachers

This course will introduce the concepts of coding to enable pupils to create their own fully working games` using Scratch and other coding systems.

Coding is playing an ever more important role in all aspects of life. It is a future skill all children will need to be aware of. Exposure to this kind of technology, understand the computational thinking strategies vital to successful problem solving techniques form part of the course. Using freely available coding systems.

KS1/Lower Primary and KS2/Upper Primary teachers

This course is a natural progression from Coding for Game Design looking at the concepts of controlling input and output devices using coding.

The world we inhabit is filled with devices controlled by coding a computer programme such as petrol pumps, washing machines, central heating systems as well as the more obvious computer based products. This course introduces the concepts of controlling output devices as well as reacting to external influences through a series of inputs such as light and heat. Delegates will use the Scratch programming language on Raspberry Pi computers and program using the Micro:Bit computer.

Reception/Early Years, KS1/Lower Primary and KS2/Upper Primary teachers

The Leaders Award is a creative problem solving and literacy competition asking children and pupils ‘If you were an engineer what would you do?’ All entries are graded by engineers and certificates issued, selected entries placed in public exhibitions, winners presented at awards evenings and on occasion inventions are made by universities.

This Master Class will share the good practice of teachers who have successfully used the competition within the curriculum to address: creativity, literacy, careers awareness, problems solving which in turn has provided inspiration and raised the self-esteem of children. The course will investigate the project pedagogy, emphasising the curriculum links. It aims to supports teachers in the creative, entrepreneurial processes to support pupils in creating their own solutions to a real world problems.