RAiSE

Raising Aspirations in Science Education (RAiSE) empowers primary school practitioners with the confidence, skills, and networks to develop and deliver engaging and motivating STEM learning experiences.

The work of the RAiSE programme is aligned to the STEM Education and Training Strategy and the Developing the Young Workforce Programme. It aims to raise attainment and achievement in primary science and STEM, and tackle inequity and inequality in learners’ experiences and outcomes.

What is RAiSE?

RAiSE is a programme of Education Scotland, The Wood Foundation, Scottish Government and participating local authorities. It has engaged with 27/32 of Scotland’s local authorities. The programme was established in 2016 as a pilot programme and was then extended nationally.

Participating local authorities are provided with funding to recruit a dedicated Primary Science Development Officer (PSDO). The role of the PSDO is to lead and co-ordinate high-quality professional learning and to support practitioner planning, networking, and collaboration. Authorities that have participated are:

  • Aberdeenshire Council
  • Angus Council
  • Argyll and Bute
  • City of Edinburgh Council
  • Clackmannanshire Council
  • Comhairle Nan Eilean Siar
  • Dumfries and Galloway Council
  • Dundee City Council
  • East Ayrshire Council
  • East Dunbartonshire Council
  • East Renfrewshire Council
  • Falkirk Council
  • Fife Council
  • Glasgow City Council
  • Inverclyde Council
  • Midlothian Council
  • Moray Council
  • North Ayrshire Council
  • North Lanarkshire Council
  • Orkney Islands Council
  • Renfrewshire Council
  • Scottish Borders Council
  • South Ayrshire Council
  • South Lanarkshire Council
  • The Highland Council
  • West Dunbartonshire Council
  • West Lothian Council

What has happened so far?

The network of PSDOs, supported by the National Education Officer for Primary Science, has helped to build the capacity and confidence of practitioners. This has led to innovative approaches and supported the embedding of STEM within the curriculum, and engaging pupils in meaningful ways. The programme has also created strong networks and partnerships, engaging a range of organisations and STEM providers. A range of case studies, reports, and statistics relating to the programme’s impact are available below.

In addition, the RAiSE network has collaborated to produce a number of resources to support practitioners in planning for science, technologies, engineering and mathematics experiences, contexts for learning and interdisciplinary learning.

Programme Statistics

Number of practitioner engagements: 34,584
Number of RAiSE CLPL events: 3,571
Cumulative RAiSE programme practitioner CLPL hours: 78,125

STEM Context Planners.

Our newest resource are our STEM context planners. These planners have been created by teachers, for teachers to give some potential STEM learning activities for commonly taught contexts across Early, First and Second Levels. Each plan is linked to Experiences and Outcomes as well as Sustainable Development Goals and Meta-Skills. These planners are provided as examples and suggestions and are by no means prescriptive. Click on the image to the right for more details and access to the planners.

RAiSE Resources

A resource to introduce Engineering Habits of Mind, the Engineering Design Process, opportunities to develop engineering knowledge and skills and the EHOM toolkit
Links to STEM information and activities for key dates across the year.
Developed by North Ayrshire Council, the resource suggests experiences and approaches to science learning outdoors in early learning and childcare settings and primary schools. 
A resource to support learning, teaching and assessment of science in ELC & primary: planning for science around the experiences and outcomes from early to second level.
A resource to support learning, teaching and assessment of technologies. Examples from early, first and second level included.
A range of learning activities where STEM is very much linked to the novel context and is relevant rather than an add on.
Link to a range of bitesize videos demonstrating STEM activities using easy to source, everyday resources.
A series of outdoor learning STEM activities related to children’s books: Highway Rat, Percy Park Keeper, Stickman and Superworm.
A series of quick and easy STEM starters designed to increase in difficulty.
40 STEM challenges for early to second level.
A range of activities for families to learn more about STEM together.
Early to Second level teacher resources.

RAiSE Practice

Celebrating the successes and achievements in STEM.
Sharing effective and impactful practice.
Highlights from PSDO activity across each academic term

RAiSE Data

Termly newsletters sharing highlights and what’s next.
Various reports focusing on highlights and impact of the RAiSE programme.