Scotland has a long tradition of expertise, innovation and achievement in STEM – and it’s an integral part of our future economic and social development. In 2017, the Scottish Government published the STEM Education and Training Strategy for Scotland. This sets out a vision of Scotland as a STEM nation: with a highly-educated and skilled population equipped with the STEM skills, knowledge and capability required to adapt and thrive in the fast-paced, changing world and economy around us.
Visit Education Scotland’s STEM Nation Online Resource for more information about the professional learning support and resources available.
Remote learning resources
National e-Learning Offer
STEM Wakelet – a collation of useful science and STEM resources for all levels
Key STEM policies and documents
STEM Education and Training Strategy for Scotland
STEM Strategy for Education and Training: Second Annual Report (2020)
STEM Strategy for Education and Training: First Annual Report (2019)
STEM self-evaluation and improvement framework
Benchmarks exemplification
CfE Briefing 15: Sciences for all
Sciences 3-18 curriculum review (impact report)
Technologies 3-18 curriculum review (impact report)
A summary of Developing the Young Workforce resources
Tackling gender balance and other inequalities in STEM
Key Performance Indicators – Summary (2019)
Key Performance Indicators – Summary (2020)
Enhancing Professional Learning in STEM Grants Programme
Education Scotland and Scottish Government have awarded £430,000 of Round 3 STEM Grant funding to 84 successful projects in 2021/22. This will benefit an estimated 11,000 practitioners. Visit our STEM blog to find out more.
Excel file: Interactive Overview of Round 3 STEM grants 2020/2021 (150 KB)
Excel file: Interactive overview of Round 2 STEM grants 2019/2020 (155 KB)
PDF file: Overview of Round 1 STEM grants 2018/19 (537 KB)
Ekosgen evaluation of STEM Grants Programme (Round 1) – Executive summary (May 2020)(240 KB)
Ekosgen evaluation of STEM Grants Programme (Round 1) – Final report (May 2020)(1.4 MB)
STEM Grants Programme – Case studies (Sept 2020)(2.8 MB)
Ekosgen STEM evaluation (Year 2) – Final report (Sept 2021) (3 MB)
National STEM Data
STEM Strategy Evidence Base (October 2017)
STEM Professional Learning Survey 2016/17 Findings
STEM Professional Learning Survey 2016/17 Findings PowerPoint
STEM Professional Learning Survey 2017/18 Findings (ELC, Primary, ASN and Secondary)
STEM Professional Learning Survey 2017/18 Findings (CLD)
STEM Professional Learning Annual Data Gathering 2017/18
STEM Professional Learning Survey 2018/19 Findings (ELC, Primary, ASN and Secondary)
STEM Professional Learning Survey 2018/19 Findings (School Technical Staff)
STEM Professional Learning Survey 2018/19 Findings (CLD)
STEM Professional Learning Annual Data Gathering 2018/19
STEM Professional Learning Annual Data Gathering 2019/20
Professional learning
Supporting early learning in STEM
A online module, developed with the University of the West of Scotland, provides all staff with resources and activities to help young learners to develop STEM in ELC.
SSERC Professional Learning
SDS skills, apprenticeship and careers videos
Resources
All STEM
STEM Central – a resource summary
STEM wakelet
National Parent Forum Scotland – STEM in a nutshell resource
Linking literacy and STEM: Stimulating group discussion skills
Community resilience and STEM: linking with Learning for Sustainability
Food education and STEM
Food science videos – explore the real-life application of STEM in industry
Scotland’s Scientists (Gaelic language resource)
Scotland’s Scientists (Scots language resource)
Great Scots – explore Scotland’s rich STEM traditions
The Young STEM Leader Programme (YSLP) - aims to inspire more young people to develop an interest in STEM and pursue the study of STEM subjects and relevant future pathways.
Sciences
Science Planning Resource – a comprehensive resource to support planning of sciences from early to second level
Highland Primary Sciences Framework – detailed lesson plans and associated resources for early to second level.
Sciences wakelet
Sciences Glow Community Resources (GLOW login required)
Sciences 3-18: Good practice examples
Citizen Science and STEM
Parentzone Scotland: I am a scientist (PDF file)
Parentzone Scotland: I am a scientist - Gaelic version (PDF file)
Technologies
Technologies wakelet
National Technologies Community
Computing science – gender balance lesson plans across the BGE
Engineering
Learning pathways – Senior Phase design
Playtime revolution – using the outdoors to supporting learning & development
Parentzone Scotland: I am an engineer (PDF file)
This is Engineering
Neon Futures
Engineering Sway from Harrysmuir Primary
Mathematics
A Summary of Resources to Support Learning, Teaching and Assessment within Numeracy and Mathematics
National Numeracy and Mathematics Professional Learning Community (GLOW login required)
Parentzone Scotland: I am a mathematician (PDF file)
Parentzone Scotland: I am a mathematician - Gaelic version (PDF file)
Family learning
Supporting science, technologies, engineering and mathematics (STEM) at home
STEM Family Learning at Larbert High School, Falkirk
Parentzone Scotland: I am a scientist (PDF file)
Parentzone Scotland: I am a scientist - Gaelic version (PDF file)
Parentzone Scotland: I am an engineer (PDF file)
Parentzone Scotland: I am a mathematician (PDF file)
Parentzone Scotland: I am a mathematician - Gaelic version (PDF file)
Case studies and exemplars
All sectors
Enhancing career education & work-based learning – Clyde Gateway, Glasgow
A cluster approach to the Sciences – Bearsden ASG, East Dunbartonshire
Inspiring Jewellery: STEM skills across learning
Skills progression in STEM – Bearsden ASG
Early Learning and Childcare
STEM practice at Sunflower Family Nurture Centre, Lochgelly, Fife
Science across the school: early level – Strathallan Primary School, Fife
Primary
Science across the curriculum – Milngavie Primary School, East Dunbartonshire
Tracking, monitoring & reporting in the primary sector – West Lothian Council
Outdoor Learning and STEM – Middleton Park Primary School, Aberdeen City
Building the Science curriculum – Millersneuk Primary School, East Dunbartonshire
From Places to Pedagogy - Robert Gordon’s College, Aberdeen City
Secondary
STEM practice at St Andrew’s Secondary School, Glasgow
Improving gender balance - Gender friendly physics at Lomond School
Skills development through STEM – Dalziel High School, North Lanarkshire
Raising achievement for all through STEM – Calderglen High School, South Lanarkshire
STEM and DYW across the curriculum: a partnership approach – Ardrossan Academy, North Ayrshire
A whole-school approach to career education – Woodfarm High School, East Renfrewshire
Creativity within Digital Learning – Wick High School, Highland
‘Workout’: positive destinations in South Ayrshire
Technologies at Perth Academy, Perth & Kinross
Developing STEM skills, knowledge & understanding – Deans Community High School, West Lothian
Community learning and development
Learning at home with science boxes – West Kilbride Primary School, North Ayrshire
Work placement opportunities across Dumfries & Galloway Council
Family learning in STEM – Glasgow Clyde College
Who can help?
There is a wide range of organisation and partners that can provide support for STEM activities in early learning and childcare settings and schools. These include:
- Parents who have STEM careers or who use STEM skills within their workplace
- Local authority STEM-related support officers and regional STEM Advisors (being recruited from 2018-19)
- RAiSE and Digital Skills Development Officers or Mathematics and Numeracy Hub Champions in your authority
- Employers including local and national employers
- Regional colleges, universities and higher education institutes
- Developing Young Workforce Regional Groups – established to develop links between schools and employers
- STEM hubs – to be established in 2018/19 onwards to support links between schools, employers, colleges, universities and DYW Regional Groups
- Community learning and development organisations
We are signatories to the Tomorrow's Engineers Code of Practice.