Education Scotland is delighted to announce that Bannerman High School, Caldercuilt Primary School and St Bartholomew's Primary School in Glasgow City Council have each achieved the full STEM Nation Award.

The sciences, technologies, engineering and mathematics (STEM) Nation Award celebrates, promotes and builds on effective practice in STEM education across Scotland. Education Scotland’s STEM Nation Award is the cornerstone of the Scottish Government’s STEM learning ambitions for Scotland to be a world-leading STEM nation with a highly-educated and skilled population equipped with the STEM skills, knowledge and capability required to adapt and thrive in a rapidly-changing world. STEM skills are crucial as Scotland seeks to transition to net-zero and as the demand for STEM skills grows to support our key economic sectors including:

• green economy
• energy, space
• advanced manufacturing
• engineering
• life and chemical sciences
• food and drink
• creative and digital media.

In order to achieve the full STEM Nation Award settings must gather and submit evidence for the five elements of the award: leadership in STEM, STEM family and community learning, employability and STEM partnership working, STEM curriculum and learner pathways, and equity and equality in STEM. After achieving all five elements, settings upload their STEM action plan for review by Education Scotland and a discussion is then held to explore this in more depth.

Bannerman High School has been praised for its progress in changing the perception of STEM across the school. Staff have widened participation beyond traditional subject boundaries, helping learners experience a more inclusive and inspiring view of what STEM can be. The school’s distributed leadership model is central to this success, ensuring that STEM remains sustainable in future years.

Validators also highlighted the school’s collaborative approach both within Bannerman High School and across its cluster primaries. This teamwork has created a STEM community where staff confidence continues to grow, professional learning is shared among practitioners, and there has been an increase in P7–S1 transition opportunities through STEM activities. As a result, the school has described an increase in enthusiasm and engagement in STEM learning by pupils.

Bannerman High School remains committed to embedding STEM as a key approach to learning. Their forward‑thinking plans include developing tracking and monitoring systems to measure the impact of STEM initiatives, as well as delivering professional learning focused on equity and inclusive STEM practice.

Seonaidh Black, headteacher of Bannerman High School said:
“We are delighted to receive this STEM Nation award. It reflects the commitment to STEM demonstrated by a large team of staff and learners in Bannerman, who have been working so hard to promote STEM learning, knowledge and pathways across our school and wider learning community.

“As a school we know how important STEM is in developing the skills and attitudes required for successful futures. Much of the success in developing STEM has been from the strong leadership from our practitioners and young STEM Leaders of Learning, who have created and implemented innovative STEM learning opportunities in and beyond the classroom.

“Along with improved learning, the collaboration, teamwork and enthusiasm for STEM from learners, from primary through to S6, has been inspiring. We look forward to creating and enjoying much more STEM (and STEAM) learning in the future.”

Caldercuilt Primary School has also been praised for its progressive approach to developing the young workforce from the early years through to P7. Learners are introduced to Developing the Young Workforce principles and key meta‑skills from P1, helping them build an early understanding of the wide range of future pathways available to them. The school takes particular pride in its work to challenge gender stereotypes, consistently reinforcing the message that STEM is open to everyone.

Caldercuilt Primary School places STEM at the core of its identity, using the local context to design learning that is relevant, inclusive, and community‑focused.

Experiences make purposeful use of the surrounding environment and partnerships, and the curriculum naturally links STEM with areas such as health and wellbeing and literacy. Caldercuilt Primary School remains committed to creating opportunities that encourage families to engage together in STEM learning. The school also plans to further strengthen its STEM offer through new biodiversity spaces in the playground, supporting its ambition to achieve the Eco‑Schools Green Flag award.

Gail Palmarini, headteacher of Caldercuilt Primary School said:
“As Head Teacher of Caldercuilt Primary School, I am immensely proud that our school has achieved the full STEM Nation Award. This recognition reflects our shared commitment to placing STEM at the heart of our curriculum and ensuring that every child, from the early years through to P7, develops the skills, curiosity and confidence to thrive in a rapidly changing world.
“We are deeply grateful to our dedicated staff, whose passion, creativity and leadership in STEM have driven this forward across all five elements of the award. I would also like to thank our pupils, who continually inspire us with their enthusiasm, innovation and determination to challenge stereotypes and show that STEM is for everyone.
"Finally, we extend our sincere thanks to our families and community partners, whose ongoing support and engagement in STEM learning help strengthen the experiences and opportunities we provide.
“This award is a celebration of our whole school community. Together, we will continue to build on this success, creating inclusive, relevant, and aspirational STEM learning that empowers our young people to shape their futures with confidence.”

Completing the recent trio of schools to achieve the award is St Bartholomew's Primary School which has been praised for their commitment to promoting diversity in STEM. Staff have engaged with professional learning from Education Scotland around improving gender balance and equalities. The school's partnership work with FemEng and Glasgow University is also helping to challenge stereotypes, build confidence and inspire learners from different backgrounds to consider engineering and wider STEM pathways.

Family and community engagement in STEM is also a priority area for the school. They offer families STEM workshops and home learning projects and have received positive feedback from parents. Staff recognise barriers faced by some families and are planning targeted support for learners with English as an additional language. Children also have the opportunity to lead the learning of others through STEM and Digital Leader roles. Not only is this approach helping to promote a positive and supportive school ethos, it is also helping children to develop resilience and STEM skills for the future.

Angela Fitzpatrick, headteacher of St Bartholomew's Primary School said:
“We are immensely proud, as a school community, to have received the STEM Nation Award. This recognition reflects the dedication and enthusiasm of our pupils, staff, and partners in embracing science, technology, engineering, and mathematics as an integral part of learning. It celebrates our commitment to fostering curiosity, creativity, and problem-solving skills, ensuring our learners are well-equipped for the future. This achievement is a testament to the collaborative effort across the school and highlights the high-quality experiences we provide to inspire and engage every child.”

Councillor Christina Cannon, City Convener for Education and Early Years at Glasgow City Council said:
“This is a brilliant recognition for the children and young people, staff and families at Bannerman High School, Caldercuilt Primary School and St Bartholomew's Primary School for all their hard work and dedication in developing inspirational approaches to STEM.
“We all know the importance of developing the young workforce and giving our children and young people the chance to learn about a variety of role models to help them make an informed decision about their future pathways.
“Congratulations to the Bannerman High School, Caldercuilt Primary School and St Bartholomew's Primary School communities for achieving this worthy award.”

The STEM Nation Award programme is currently open to applications from early learning and childcare settings, primary and secondary schools and community learning and development providers. More information on the STEM Nation Award including details on how to apply for it can be found via Education Scotland’s STEM Nation blog.