The STEM Nation Award has been developed by Education Scotland to celebrate, promote and build on effective practice in STEM education within and across sectors. All early learning and childcare (ELC) settings, primary schools, secondary schools and providers of community learning and development (CLD) are eligible to apply for the STEM Nation Award. Settings may apply for an individual element or any combination of elements. Settings which achieve all five elements within a three year period will be eligible for the full STEM Nation Award after successfully completing a validation conversation.
Teachers, ELC practitioners and CLD providers from across Scotland worked with Education Scotland during the pilot phase and as part of a CLD working group to shape the award criteria and application process. The programme is designed to be flexible and supportive in response to the varying needs of different sectors and specific local contexts.
Find out more:
- Information for ELC settings and schools (including special schools and specialist provisions within mainstream settings)
- Information for CLD providers
The elements
The STEM Nation Award consists of five elements:
- Leadership in STEM
- STEM family and community learning
- Employability and STEM partnership working
- STEM curriculum and learner pathways/progression routes
- Equity and equality in STEM
Further information on each of these elements can be found in the relevant STEM Nation Award guidance document for your sector. Further support for individual award elements is available on this page.
STEM Nation Award pilot
Education Scotland wish to extend thanks to all of the early learning and childcare settings and schools who helped to shape the STEM Nation Award programme as part of the 2019/2020 pilot. Nineteen of the settings in this initial cohort were successful in achieving the full STEM Nation Award and many more are continuing on their STEM journey.
This interactive map shows the settings involved in the STEM Nation Award pilot.
Congratulations to the following settings on gaining the full STEM Nation Award as part of the 19/20 pilot:
- Monifieth High School, Angus
- Bowmore Primary School, Argyll & Bute
- Port Ellen Primary School, Argyll & Bute
- Glenwood Family Centre, East Renfrewshire
- Our Lady of the Missions Primary School, East Renfrewshire
- St Joseph’s Primary School, East Renfrewshire
- St Cadoc’s Primary School, East Renfrewshire
- Denny High School, Falkirk
- Graeme High School, Falkirk
- Larbert High School, Falkirk
- Pitteuchar East Primary School, Fife
- Sunflower Family Nurture Centre, Fife
- Gowanbank Primary School, Glasgow City
- Hyndland Secondary School, Glasgow City
- St Roch’s Primary and Deaf School, Glasgow City
- Brediland Primary School, Renfrewshire
- McLaren High School, Stirling
- Wellgreen Nursery, Stirling
- Inveralmond Community High School, West Lothian
Your regional STEM Education Officer will be happy to assist with any STEM Nation Award enquiries. Further support is available by contacting STEM@educationscotland.gov.scot and stating the name of your setting and the local authority in which you work.
