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Building STEM ambassadors of the future at St Swithun’s Prep School |
STEM at St Swithun’s Prep
Our tailor-made maths and science curriculum extends far beyond the national standards to prepare children for a future full of limitless choices. This incorporates complex problem-solving skills, essential in today’s fast-moving and technological world.
We are committed to fostering a passion for these subjects and allow our students to embrace them without any gender bias or stereotypes of what subjects they should or shouldn’t do. To build resilience, our pupils are taught to embrace any hurdles or mistakes they may encounter along the way, using failure as an important learning opportunity.
Why is STEM so important in younger years?
Research shows STEM activities that are hands-on and minds-on develop key competencies such as collaboration, creativity, critical thinking and problem solving, good listening and communication skills (Stem Learning 2022).
In the classroom, the students blend scientific enquiry and High-Performance Learning skills and attributes in a wide range of hands-on activities. Through real-time application of their learning, our pupils engage with and gain a deeper understanding of the scientific concepts. We encourage open discussion, champion team working, and give time for evaluative reflection.
our stem Co-curricular offering
Our co-curricular activities run after school from 16.00-18.00 daily and are available for all children, from Preschool through to Year 6. The activities on offer are all bookable in advance and change termly. We strongly believe that by offering a breadth of opportunities, we help to develop resilience, risk taking, and self-confidence - characteristics that are of great value to our pupils.
Some of our STEM co-curricular offerings include:
- Maths Challenge Club (Y3-Y6)
- Maths fun (Y1 + Y2)
- STEM Challenge: Gardening (Y3-Y6)
- STEM Challenge: This IS Rocket Science (Y4-Y6)
- STEM Challenge: Mini Fun-gineering (Y2-Y4)
- STEM Challenge: Fun-gineering (Y5-Y6)
- STEM Challenge: Dissection (Y4-Y6)
- STEM Challenge: Lego Club (YR-Y2)
- STEM Challenge: Construction Club (Y3-Y6)
- STEM Challenge: Inventors and Inventions (Y3-Y6)
All of our STEM clubs are always fully booked, and girls will return year-on-year to further build upon their skills, resilience and confidence. There was even a waiting list for Dissection co-curricular last year.
We also take part in the Science summer challenge and other competitions (internal and external) such as the Step into the NHS competition and designing and building a miniature Chelsea Garden, judged by a real Chelsea judge.
STEM in all-girls environments
Compared with girls in co-ed schools, girls in girls’ schools are 2.7 times more likely to take further maths, and more than twice as likely to take physics and computer science A-levels (FFT Education Data Lab 2022). The UK government recognises there is a significant difference in the number of boys and girls who choose to study STEM subjects in school, and also that studying STEM A-levels can boost a young person’s earning potential when they leave education (UK Parliament Report 2022-2023). These statistics show the importance of widening access for girls in these subjects; something an all-girls independent school can provide.
“Our girls embrace all STEM content without any consideration about whether it might be for girls or boys. If it is fun and challenging, then it is popular with all. When asked, our girls aspire to be like those people they admire in all fields of their lives, from hospital to airport, farm to construction site, they see no barriers.” – Karen Brown, Head of Science at St Swithun’s Prep.
What pupils say about our STEM clubs:
- “You get to step into an engineer’s shoes. Whether it is designing houses made of Lego, building eco bridges or even dissecting a pig’s head! These clubs teach you to work as a team and be collaborative. Victories will happen and mistakes will be made, but that’s part of learning. It builds your intelligence as well. These clubs challenge you but most importantly they are FUN!” Desire, Year 6.
- “It stretched my independence and let my imagination run wild!” Millie, Year 5.
- “I learnt so much about rockets...my favourite thing was when we got to ride on a skateboard using a leaf blower!” Lilia, Year 5.
- “I loved learning about all different bits of animals and looking at their body parts.” Annabella, Year 6.
- “I think that STEM is great because it made me want to try things I’ve never done before.” Alexandra, Year 6.
- “I do Fun-gineering and it is so fun; you learn so much and it is one of my highlights of the week. I also did Dissection, which fascinated me and taught me so much about movement in animals. You can be curious all you like. Do them; it’s so much fun!” Rosie, Year 6.
Construction club is for Reception, Year 1 and Year 2. Here is what the girls say:
- “Working with a partner in Construction Club is fun, we can build big cities with lots of Lego pieces and Lego people.” Satnam, Year 1.
- “In Construction Club, I like using my imagination to build whatever I like out of Lego!” Amelie, Year 1.
- “I like building with the Magna Tiles and one week I built a tower that was taller than me!” Holly, Reception.