Embracing STEM Means Weaving Curiosity, Creativity And Resilience Into Every Aspect Of The Curriculum
At Skipton Girls' High School we're committed to being a diverse community that is enriched by each other's unique qualities, says headteacher Jenn Plews
- by Jenn Plews
Since 1886, innovation has been our tradition at Skipton Girls’ High School – an all-girls secondary academy serving communities in North Yorkshire, Bradford and Lancashire. And, in a climate where English education has seen much change and turbulence, it is our belief that it is even more important for schools like ours to be the innovators; to be brave, cultivate resilience in both our staff and students, and be the ones to help shape the national educational landscape.
Central to our whole school ethos is the importance we place on educating girls in an environment which is free from gender stereotype, whilst discovering proven approaches for engaging and retaining girls in STEM fields.
With only approximately 9% of UK engineers being female, National Women in Engineering Day is a major event in our school diary, and is dedicated to raising the profile and celebrating the achievements of women in engineering and promoting the opportunities that the sector provides to young women.
As a school community we genuinely thrive on and are excited about partnership and collaboration – what this truly means is that we want to positively share our passion for STEM education and actively support students and teachers beyond the confines of our own ‘four walls’ to make a lasting difference. Developing our ambitious, strategic vision for Northern Lights School Centred Initial Teacher Training (SCITT) over the last two years has taught us a great deal about personalising STEM-related training opportunities for the future generation of teachers.
We fully embrace nationwide campaigns such as ‘This Girl Can: Sport England’, and over the last year have focused all our energies on ‘Being Brave’ – our whole school mantra; embedding strategies and ways of working to further support our students’ holistic health and wellbeing by taking considered risks, developing self-belief and confidence, and building resilience and empathy amongst many other social-emotional skills.
