Teachers enriched by Cambridge science

Funded by the Goldsmiths Company, six different Science for Society courses are run at four different universities. At Cambridge, the teachers attended a course on either materials science or chemistry. Each course includes lectures given by Cambridge academics, practical sessions in small groups, led by PhD students, and various other activities.

The aim of the course based at the Department of Materials Science and Metallurgy was to show the breadth of the subject, which includes aspects of physics, chemistry, engineering and biology. Speakers included Professor Mark Blamire (Physics of Materials) and Professor Lindsay Greer (Materials in Living Systems).

Kwadwo Takyi-Kwakye (pictured left), who teaches Key Stage 4 science at Langdon School in Newham, East London, said that the course was a chance to explore new ways of teaching, learn about university-level research, and to network with colleagues at other schools.

“I teach at a school where pupils speak more than 100 languages and have a huge range of backgrounds and abilities. I am always looking for new approaches to getting them interested in science, and new resources I can put to use to add excitement to the curriculum,” he said.

Maggie Stickney, who teaches science at Northgate High School and Dereham Sixth Form College in Norfolk, said the programme offered a welcome respite from the “relentless pressures” of the classroom. “I found the level of the topics we tackled very challenging, especially mathematically, but it’s good to be faced with new subjects such as aircraft materials,” she said.

The Cambridge PhD students running the practical sessions included Laura Birrell (pictured right) whose work focuses on welding of sheet steel. She said she was particularly glad to be making a contribution to the course as her physics teacher had been instrumental in helping her chose a career in science.

“I went to King George V College in Southport in Merseyside where one of my teachers, Lynn Pharoah, encouraged me to go to university open days and think about studying materials science and engineering, courses that relatively few girls opt for,” said Laura.

The teachers stayed at Sidney Sussex College, and during the week visited Duxford Air Museum and travelled to London to attend a dinner at the Goldsmiths’ Company in the City.

Dr Rob Wallach, who leads the Goldsmiths’ Company materials course at Cambridge, said that he hoped the programme had allowed the teachers to “recharge their batteries” while learning about the relevance of materials science to both society and to the courses they teach.

“At the same time they learnt about some of the cutting edge materials research happening at Cambridge and saw at first hand the wealth of opportunities that might be open to their pupils,” he said.