Science Learning Centres
Encyclopedia
Science Learning Centres are a UK Government initiative to address the need for improved science
education and development for teacher
s.
invested £51 million in the creation of the national network of Science Learning Centres. After a competitive tendering process the first Science Learning Centre opened its doors in October 2004. Today the Centres are more than just a location for training courses, they are rapidly becoming the focus for all science education activity in the UK.
for anyone involved in the teaching of science, from those working with reception aged children to post 16 students, including primary and secondary teachers, technicians, teaching assistants and FE lecturers.
The aim of all Science Learning Centres is to reconnect teachers with the frontiers of their subject and the latest techniques for teaching it. Teachers who attend courses are given the opportunity to renew and extend their teaching skills by mixing with and learning from colleagues who face similar challenges to their own, and have access to the UK’s leading experts in science educational research.
, offers residential courses for teachers, providing access to the facilities for teachers of two or more days, often spread across more than one term.
Science
Science is a systematic enterprise that builds and organizes knowledge in the form of testable explanations and predictions about the universe...
education and development for teacher
Teacher
A teacher or schoolteacher is a person who provides education for pupils and students . The role of teacher is often formal and ongoing, carried out at a school or other place of formal education. In many countries, a person who wishes to become a teacher must first obtain specified professional...
s.
Origins
In 2001, the House of Lords Science & Technology Select Committee Report identified an urgent need for subject specific Continuing Professional Development for Science Teachers. In response to this and numerous other calls for action, the Department for Education and Skills and the Wellcome TrustWellcome Trust
The Wellcome Trust was established in 1936 as an independent charity funding research to improve human and animal health. With an endowment of around £13.9 billion, it is the United Kingdom's largest non-governmental source of funds for biomedical research...
invested £51 million in the creation of the national network of Science Learning Centres. After a competitive tendering process the first Science Learning Centre opened its doors in October 2004. Today the Centres are more than just a location for training courses, they are rapidly becoming the focus for all science education activity in the UK.
Continuing professional development
Science Learning Centres run courses that provide continuing professional developmentProfessional development
Professional development refers to skills and knowledge attained for both personal development and career advancement. Professional development encompasses all types of facilitated learning opportunities, ranging from college degrees to formal coursework, conferences and informal learning...
for anyone involved in the teaching of science, from those working with reception aged children to post 16 students, including primary and secondary teachers, technicians, teaching assistants and FE lecturers.
The aim of all Science Learning Centres is to reconnect teachers with the frontiers of their subject and the latest techniques for teaching it. Teachers who attend courses are given the opportunity to renew and extend their teaching skills by mixing with and learning from colleagues who face similar challenges to their own, and have access to the UK’s leading experts in science educational research.
Centres
There are 10 Science Learning Centres around the country. One to serve each of the nine English government regions and a National Science Learning Centre (based in the University of York) which provides training for anyone from England, Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland. Each Centre is run by a consortium of organisations, which vary from local councils and professional bodies to universities, schools, science centres and industry partners.- The National Science Learning Centre, located in York
- Science Learning Centre East of England, located in Hertfordshire
- Science Learning Centre East Midlands, located in Leicester
- Science Learning Centre London
- Science Learning Centre North East, located in Durham
- Science Learning Centre North West, located in Manchester
- Science Learning Centre South East, located in Southampton
- Science Learning Centre South West, located in Bristol
- Science Learning Centre West Midlands, located in Keele
- Science Learning Centre Yorkshire & the Humber, located in Sheffield
Courses
The courses offered at the regional Centres usually feature one day’s training at the Centre, together with ongoing support through classroom exercises and online materials. The National Science Learning Centre, based at the University of YorkUniversity of York
The University of York , is an academic institution located in the city of York, England. Established in 1963, the campus university has expanded to more than thirty departments and centres, covering a wide range of subjects...
, offers residential courses for teachers, providing access to the facilities for teachers of two or more days, often spread across more than one term.