About OISSP
OISSP Past and present OISSP Partners include:
The Association for Science Education, The Carbon Trust, The Engineering Development Trust, The Hamilton Trust, Oxford Climate-X-Change, The Royal Society of Chemistry, The Science and Technology Facilities Council, Science Oxford, The Society of Chemical Industry, The Ogden Trust, and the Smith School of Enterprise and the Environment, University of Oxford among others.
OISSP Background
OISSP remains the largest Independent/State Schools Partnership in the UK and Since it’s conception in 1997, has been developing and supporting initiatives for the benefit of all Oxfordshire secondary age pupils. The 2009-2010, extension project follows on from the successful and engaging two year ‘Securing Our Future’ (SOF) Programme. The SOF supported science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) awareness in schools. This DCSF funded project aimed to encourage the flow of well-motivated young people into science and related careers. The programme of innovative inset, conferences and celebration events were supported by OISSP’s key partner, Science Oxford. Over 50 schools, 5000 pupils and 600 teachers participated in projects ranging from Chemist, Biologist and Physicist of the Year to ‘Science at Work’ the ‘Applied Science Conference’ and SEEP-2 Energy Audits.
One of the objectives of the Securing our Future Project was to increase the uptake of science at GCSE in all of the Oxfordshire schools. SOF may have succeeded in encouraging this to happen as there has been the increased uptake of Triple Science (separate examinations for biology, chemistry and physics).
Nationally the numbers taking Triple Science has increased by about 20% since 2009 and it is now offered as an option in just over half of maintained schools. Professor Sir John Holman, National STEM Director and Director of the National Science Learning Centre, believes it is essential that all schools offer this option. In Oxfordshire the uptake is much greater than the national average, with virtually all independent schools, and over 90% of state schools, offering Triple Science at GCSE.
Previous evaluation of the 2007-2009 Securing our Future Project
An Evaluation Booklet together with the DVD which showed the activities that had taken place were circulated to all interested parties in 2009.
The success of the project led to the successful bid to the extension of this project from September 2009 to September 2010. A sustainability was awarded by the DCSF (now DoE) which was match funded by other grants by OISSP and allowed the following projects to take place
1) School Chemist of the Year event
School Biologist of the Year event
School Physicist of the Year event
Year 9 Scientist of the Year event
2) Lifelab- Local STEM Careers web-site
3) Sustainable Development conferences
4) 16-19 Science Teachers Conference
5) Café Theatre Project
5) Go4SET Year 9 technology project.
Sixth Form Biologist of the Year
This annual and popular event took place at the University of Oxford Museum of Natural History on the 11th November.
Sixth Form Chemist of the Year
Sponsored jointly with the Society of Chemical Industry this took place at the Department of Chemistry, University of Oxford on the 26th November.
Sixth Form Physicist of the Year
The Rutherford Appleton Laboratory hosted this award evening on the 11th February.
For the first time the Ogden Trust sponsored this event. In addition to receiving a certificate and book token, the award winners were also eligible to apply for an Ogden Trust Undergraduate Science Scholarship of £1500 for 4 years. At least one financially disadvantaged Oxfordshire student was awarded this grant.
Year 9 Scientist of the Year
Schools across Oxfordshire nominated their best Year 9 student (14yr old) for this award. It took place at the Rutherford Appleton Laboratories on the 20th October 2009
Life Lab (The Oxfordshire new STEM careers website.)
The site aims:
- To encourage young people to consider studying Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) subjects beyond age 16,
- To raise awareness of the opportunities that studying STEM subjects presents by showcasing a breadth of career paths followed by local people who have studied STEM subjects, and
- To raise the profile of local companies where STEM trained people work.
With a national drive in the UK to increase students’ awareness of careers in STEM, Science Oxford asked Oxfordshire teachers and careers advisors what existing careers resources were not currently providing.
From this it was established that existing careers resources were not currently meeting the needs of teachers and students for:
- A local focus
- Web (rather than paper) based resource
- A focus on decisions students make at 16 and 18
- Real life examples of people with interesting jobs
- Information on work experience placements
- The range of STEM related opportunities in local companies
By producing Life Lab, a web-based careers resource for 14-19 year olds which uses case studies of real, local people with a background in STEM we are able to show the breadth and variety of jobs and careers available to people who take these subjects beyond age 16.
The Launch of Life Lab took place on the 5th May at Science Oxford and it is now on line. Go to www.scienceoxfordnext.com/lifelab
3rd + 4th Oxford Schools Sustainability Conferences
These conferences involving seven independent and state schools, took place on the 10th November 2009 and the 3rd of March 2010
16-19 Science Teachers Conference
This took place at Headington School, Oxford Saturday 20th March 2010.
The Keynote lecture was Dr Sarah-Jane Blakemore speaking on ‘The Teenage Brain’
Other workshops included;
- Successfully Incorporating Theory Of Knowledge into IB Science Lessons
- Bridging the gap between GCSE and A level
- Spectroscopy in a suitcase
- Making the Transition to University
- AS Applied Science – what are the benefits & pitfalls to avoid.
- STEM Careers Workshop
- Learning Skills for Science
- SCIENCEBOOK prototype online resource OISSP
Evaluation forms were collected from the participants indicating that this had been a successful event. Of the 35 participants 100% rated the event good or very good.
Café Theatre
(Cross-Curricular French and Drama Programme)
The Café-Theatre Project is a Modern Languages project and was launched by Oxford Brookes University and OISSP for Oxfordshire KS4 students and for PGCE MFL students at Oxford Brookes.
The aim of the project is to raise attainment in French through an intensive enrichment programme involving drama.
Three Oxfordshire secondary schools eventually took part, Cheney School, Wood Green School and the European School
Three professional actors from France led the drama workshops that culminated in two lively performances at The Old Fire Station Theatre in Oxford on 4th May.
The enthusiasm and high standard of language skills that had been learnt by the pupils was evident to all those enjoying the humour of the sketches in the audience.
An evaluation of the project is written up in the National Centre for Languages publication LINKS, Issue 40 www.cilt.org.uk/link/linksbulletin.aspx
Go4SET
OISSP, Science Oxford and the Engineering Development Network (EDN) have re-programmed this group based science project involving electronics for the 2010-2011 academic year.
Summary
The sustainability grant enabled OISSP to build on its previous successful projects as well as introducing some new innovative projects. In all cases there was a good involvement from both independent and state schools.
Archive About OISSP
View the following videos to find out more about recent OISSP enrichment activities:
2 Engineering & Technology cluster project Go4SET (at Rutherford Appleton Laboratory)