The British Science Association (BSA) recently completed an exciting new pilot scheme in partnership with the NCR Foundation. Aimed at overcoming barriers to young people accessing quality practical science, the scheme provided primary teachers with everything they would need to do CREST Awards practical projects in their classrooms.
From kit boxes, to training and free CREST certificates: Everything was included and organised in an easy to access way.
Funded by the NCR Foundation, the BSA designed and supplied CREST SuperStar kit boxes, and sent them for free to 31 schools pilot schools across Scotland; over half of which were located in the most deprived postcodes. All 31 schools are now part of the BSA’s Engage Teacher Network, a community of educators from schools in challenging circumstances.
Due to the success of this initiative, the BSA has seen a rapid increase in demand for our kit boxes, demonstrating the need and appetite for the time-saving practical kits.
Because many teachers lack the time, resources and, may feel they don’t have confidence or experience to deliver practical science, we are working UK-wide to provide these impactful CREST kit boxes to schools in challenging circumstances. We want to equip a further 1,000 teachers in the next two years, enabling a further 30,000 young people to access quality practical science and have the opportunity to earn a CREST Award.
CREST is the BSA’s flagship education programme that encourages young people aged 3-19 to think and behave like scientists and engineers through hands-on, open-ended investigative projects. CREST provides free activity resources online for all teachers and students; when students accomplish a certain number of CREST activities, they can apply for CREST Awards.
Whilst all CREST activities are available free online, the BSA recognised that a significant barrier to teachers running practical activities can be the time and money required to gather and organise practical kit. As such, the CREST SuperStar boxes contained everything teachers would need to run SuperStar CREST activities with their classes- all organised into ‘drawers’ in a super-sized box of kit. SuperStar activities are designed for children aged around 7-11, engaging them with science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) as they begin to gear up for secondary school.
Teachers were provided with the resources to run eight activities – enough for children to each earn a SuperStar Award, and set them off on their CREST journey.
The aim is to establish a positive STEM identity in young people – the feeling that STEM is relevant and accessible. Studies show that children’s STEM identity, positive or negative, can become entrenched in primary school, so it’s an incredibly important time to reach them, particularly those living in deprived areas and from other backgrounds underrepresented in STEM who might be less likely to see themselves as future scientists.
A recent CREST impact report showed that completing CREST activities is an effective way of helping children build up STEM skills and break down stereotypes about who can be a scientist. This opportunity should be open to all young people, but as is so often the case, children living in deprived areas don’t have equitable access.
As part of an evaluation of the kit box project, teachers told us that lacking resources and space to run hands-on science activities can be a significant barrier, as can having limited time to plan practical lessons. Teachers’ confidence in delivering STEM enrichment activities can also be a factor.
Teachers said:
"Resources and technology are an issue. Often the school has none and teachers end up having to purchase resources for their own class and in their own time. This can put staff off trying activities."
"STEM at our school is very under-developed, due to lack of space and available funding. Years ago we had a technology room but now everything is tucked away in boxes and cupboards and it’s never quite so simple."
The kit box project removed these barriers by providing teachers with absolutely everything would need to run CREST activities – all the instructions and more importantly, all the practical equipment. They are designed to help teachers minimise prep-time and maximise project time.
The scheme, by all accounts, was a success! Participating teachers told us how the boxes made running CREST in the classroom so much easier.
"On the whole they exceeded expectations, in terms of having everything you needed in the box, it was a godsend. It really gave me confidence to just run with it and not have to worry too much about preparation beforehand."
"I have always thought that one of the main barriers for teachers delivering science was related to the ideas and the resourcing of those ideas. The CREST kit boxes cover both of these."
"As part of other STEM projects I ran within the school, I discovered the largest barrier to STEM was staff confidence. I feel the way the CREST kit boxes are designed and planned are a very user-friendly introduction for struggling staff."
Teachers who work with children of different ability levels also felt that the activities were easily adapted to pupils’ needs and were inclusive.
As well as sharing written feedback on the benefits of the kit boxes, teachers also filled in a survey about how boxes had impacted their pupils’ engagement with STEM after the fact.
After using the kit boxes, 71% of the participating teachers felt that all or the majority of their pupils had an increasing confidence in STEM.
Over half the teachers surveyed, 59%, reported that all or the majority of their pupils felt that science was relatable to their everyday lives, compared to 27% before using the boxes.
Schemes like these are only truly effective if they spark long-term STEM enrichment in schools.
The teachers who took part felt that CREST improved STEM engagement, and 81% plan to run CREST activities again. Every single teacher answered that they would recommend CREST to other teachers and schools. One teacher hopes they have been able to help their colleagues run the activities with their classes:
"A lot of the resources lasted, so I’ve put them all together in one box to be used again next year. Because I modelled the lessons for the other teachers, I’m hoping that next year they take it on themselves."
In order to allow as many students and teachers to use the kit box as possible, the items in the boxes are made of environmentally friendly, high-grade material, e.g. paper and sheets, so they can be reused over and over again with different groups of students.
The BSA believe that every teacher should have the chance to run STEM enrichment activities with their pupils, and every pupil, regardless of background or ability level, should have the opportunity to take part and develop a positive STEM identity before moving up to secondary school.
Following the amazing success of the pilots, the BSA has already secured some funding to supply boxes to other UK schools in our Engage Teacher Network. So far 115 of school have received boxes funded by The Horners' Education Charity, The Royal Commission for the Exhibition of 1851, and Mewburn Ellis. With the support of The Royal Commission for the Exhibition of 1851, we are also developing a new box aimed at supporting EYFS and KS1 practical projects.
There is huge demand from teachers for this scheme. Recently an offer of 20 funded boxes had over 128 schools expressing interest! As such, the BSA are continuing to look for regional and national supporters who can fund more boxes and help us meet this demand.
Providing teachers with free CREST kit boxes filled with all the resources they need helps them overcome some of the biggest barriers to equitable access to STEM engagement, and plays a part in creating a new generation of children who will embark on the next stage of their education knowing that, if it’s where their aspirations lie, STEM is for them.
If you are interested in funding boxes for schools, either regionally or nationally, please contact our Development Manager, Giorgio D’Agostaro at Giorgio.dagostaro@britishscienceassociation.org
If you are a teacher interested in getting a free box, they are currently being offered to members of the Engage Teacher Network. Find out more here.
