Alan works at the UK Astronomy Technology Centre, and is designing software for the James Webb Space Telescope.  Alan talks about his work on the mid infrared instrument which will look at the formation of galaxies in the early universe.  He uses coding in his job and explains how you need to write algorithms to a...

This resource, from the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC), looks at worrying studies into young people's drinking habits. Studies have looked at how and why excessive drinking has become a normal part of life for many young people and the psychological pressures put upon people to drink alcohol,...

This collection of Nuffield Maths resources explores Algebra and Maths. The demand is roughly equivalent to that in Higher Level GCSE and Level 2 Functional Mathematics.

Alice and Bob in Wonderland are animations produced by the Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics. They are based around the questions that Alice has about the physical world and how these can lead to "powerful ideas" in physics, such as energy-mass equivalence and relativity. Topics include time travel, the...

This podcast from the Natural Environment Research Council's (NERC) Planet Earth Online collection looks at invasive species of plants and animals. Many of them are well-known. Grey squirrels, harlequin ladybirds, buddleia, Japanese knotweed - the list goes on. Some of these aliens, or invasive species to give them...

These activities, from Eurostemcell, introduce students to the science of stem cells and explore four basic themes in stem cell biology: 1. What is a stem cell? – what stem cells can do; types of stem cell 2. Where do embryonic stem cells come from? – the blastocyst; cell culture; IVF 3. Why bother with stem cells...

Alternatives for Science Education was produced and published by the Association for Science Education (ASE) in 1979. Its sub-title, A Consultative Document, indicates its aim and status. In addition to being a document of considerable historical interest, it contains arguments of continued relevance.

The...

In separate documents, this resource provides guidance for teachers to plan for progression of students aged 11-16, based on the National Strategies Framework for Secondary Science Learning Objectives. Each learning objective is given further explanation under the heading ‘Pupils could learn to … ’ 

...

An Addendum to Cockcroft, from the Resources for Learning Development Unit (RLDU), was written by a group of Avon secondary mathematics teachers who recognised that the wide-ranging recommendations within the report would have an impact on the teaching of mathematics. Changes would depend on the willingness of...

This Mathematics Matters case study describes how mathematicians help to boost efficiency in the energy industry by mapping buried oil reserves. As oil supplies become harder and more expensive to reach, it’s essential that we maximise the yield from available reservoirs in any way possible. Mathematicians are...

Python is a freely available programming language. This resource contains six sections:

The first section, Getting started, begins with a simple description of how to download and install a Python compiler onto a computer. The screenshots in the resource use a compiler called IDLE. There...

This learning resource is an introduction to programming with Python. Versions are included for Python 2.7 and Python 3. The fundamentals of programming are covered: • Arithmetic operations • Data types • Control flow As well as some more advanced techniciques including the use of: • Regular Expressions • Files •...

Support from employers is a vital part of all young people’s careers education.

This employer’s guide to STEM careers education explains how employer engagement can support secondary schools and colleges in England to deliver high-quality science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) careers...