Swansea University Science for Schools Scheme (S4) is a Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) outreach project which connected Key Stage 3 pupils in South Wales with university science from 2013 – 2023.
S4 was led by research scientists and focused on getting young people excited by, and engaged in, science through free, hands-on, curiosity-driven, and research-led workshops. S4 successfully increased access to STEM learning and contributed to STEM uptake and attainment in higher education among students from backgrounds with traditionally low participation in higher education and STEM.
S4 participants took part in lab-based, hands-on STEM workshops, at a dedicated outreach classroom on Swansea University’s Singleton Campus. Our workshops complemented and reinforced the national science curriculum, covering topics in Biology, Chemistry, and Physics. Literacy and numeracy skills were also key elements in our teaching.
S4 was established in 2012 by Professor Mary Gagen and Dr Will Bryan at Swansea University. From 2018 – 2023, S4 formed part of the pan-Wales Trio Sci Cymru Consortium which was funded by the European Social Fund and Welsh Government. Although S4 funding has now ended, you can still access all of our freely available and downloadable resources on our portal.
S4 ran hands-on workshops, experiments, experiences and science shows both on the Swansea University campus and in schools. Our work was informed by talking to and surveying participants, parents and teachers. This enabled us to learn a great deal about what influenced whether a child engaged with STEM subjects and whether they felt confident about their ability to ‘do science’, and how this influenced young people’s consideration of STEM careers.
S4 improved attainment in Biology, Chemistry and Physics through hands-on workshops and studied how such activities change the way children think about these subjects.
As part of the S4 Trio Sci Cymru consortium which ran from 2018 - 2023, we ran two full-day science sessions per term for three years, which followed the same students from year 7 to year 9. Each session was structured to give the pupils the opportunity to develop practical skills, knowledge, and confidence in their ability to do science.
Within a single day, three workshops, based around the three Triple Science subjects, were led by qualified and engaging experts in the subjects. Emphasis was placed on combining hands-on activities, discussions and short talks, with care to showcase the work of female scientists and highlight the wide range of scientific careers that exist.
The programme worked with schools with low STEM participation aiming to widen participation in science to cover all demographics and create a more diverse STEM-engaged community.
Learn more about what we did in year one and year two of the project.
We are occasionally able to deliver STEM workshops please get in touch if you would like to discuss.
Trio Sci Cymru was a collaborative education and outreach programme, comprising of the Welsh Government Office for Science (WGOS), Aberystwyth, Bangor, Cardiff and Swansea Universities. The aim of Trio Sci Cymru was to understand the attitudes and uptake of the sciences by children in school years 7 to 9. Over the duration of the programme, Biology Chemistry and Physics activities were delivered in schools as a platform to encourage the uptake of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) across Wales. The programme also facilitated the longitudinal study of factors that influenced this vital route for young people, via education at all levels, to a skilled workforce.
Key stats and findings as part of the Trio Sci Cymru programme 2018 – 2023:
