The RA3 Project: An Introduction
Most parents want their child to enjoy school and succeed. However, many just don’t know how to support their child’s learning as a lot of things may seemed to have changed since they attended school.
The RA3 project aims to bring parents together with their children and teachers to explore the worlds of science, technology, engineering and maths.
Through stimulating group activities parents and guardians will be able to collaborate, in a learning environment, with their children and teachers and find out about and support the ways their children learn while learning themselves.
Activities are designed to be challenging but fun and RA3 ‘Grand Days Out’ will provide experiences of real science, technology, engineering and maths through everyday contexts.
The RA3 website will allow family learning groups to record and share a journal of their activities, with the ability to upload photos, podcasts and video. It will also provide information, news and announcements and give teachers access to various activities and resources that they can download.
RA3: Raising Attitudes, Aspirations and Achievement
The RA3 project is aiming to raise the attitudes, aspirations and achievement of children, parents and adults regarding Science Technology Engineering and Maths (STEM).
Ten secondary schools in the South Yorkshire region are working in collaboration with their feeder primary schools to develop and deliver enhancement activities that are designed to be fun and stimulating. Parents and their children are working together in Family Learning Groups (FLGs) through a range of STEM based topics.
The project is providing opportunities for FLGs to engage with practitioners from the fields of STEM in order to provide relevant insight into the 'real' world of STEM operations.The project is funded by the Yorkshire and Humber Regional Development Agency Yorkshire Forward for a duration of three years.
The aims and philosophy of the proposed project are firmly embedded within the Regional Economic Strategy (RES) as well the 'Every Child Matters' policy (Department for Education and Skills - DfES).
In bringing together families, schools and practising experts from industry we aim to build capacity within communities between schools, families and local industry as well as increasing levels of education and skills.
The 'Every Child Matters' policy (DfES) recognises that parents have a key role to play in the education of their children and that by adopting an educational model which integrates families with schools and industry a strong potential for raising aspirations and increasing long-term achievement for both young people and adults may be realised:
The creation of a 'learning culture' will raise aspirations in families
and communities, with greater potential for long-term and lasting
change from grassroots level upward (NIACE, 2004).
There is strong evidence that many parents undertake learning in an attempt to help their children's learning and, as a result, develop the confidence to tackle their own learning needs (NIACE, 2004). Therefore, this project will attempt to support the development of parents/guardians as a central aim.
Project Approach
Each secondary school is collaborating with their primary feeder schools to establish Family Learning Groups (FLGs). Each school cluster is engaging in out-of-school activity with their FLGs that are focusing on STEM contexts. FLGs consist of children plus parents/guardians.
Participating teachers are leading each FLG through stimulating activities designed to challenge and inspire children and parents while maintaining a strong 'fun' element.
Setpoint SY and B&ESY are supporting teachers by developing teaching and learning materials as a context for all activities. Teaching and learning units are being developed over the duration of the project that reflect the sector skills clusters in the region which are:
- advanced engineering & metals
- bioscience
- chemicals
- digital industries
- food & drink (including agriculture)
The Science Learning Centre (SLC) is also supporting teachers and parents through design and delivery of Continuing Professional Development (CPD) sessions. These are helping to support teachers to facilitate the FLG activities and help parents to support their children's learning.
To provide 'real' contexts for FLG activity 'Grand Days Out' (GDOs) are being organised by the Industrial Trust. Two GDOs will be organised per project year that will offer FLGs opportunities to experience educational visits to relevant organisations from industrial based companies to museums and meeting practitioners from the STEM fields.
The aim is to provide insight into the 'real' world of STEM that will help to provide relevance and understanding of how STEM organisations work. Short, medium and long term impacts are being measured in an attempt to provide best practice and sustainable models for regional and/or national roll-out.
Funding
Yorkshire Forward are the principal funders of the RA3 Project. Yorkshire Forward was set up by Government to promote sustainable economic development throughout the Yorkshire and Humber region. One of England's nine Regional Development Agencies (RDAs) they are a business led organisation that aims to help improve the region’s relative economic performance and reduce social and economic disparities.
Yorkshire Forward supports the expansion and development of business in our region by encouraging public and private investment, and by connecting people to economic opportunity. They also work to improve levels of education, learning and skills, and do all that they can to enhance the region's environment and infrastructure.
Partner Organisations
The Centre for Science Education is one of the UK’s leading academic groups working in the field of science education and communication, and with 34 staff it is the largest. Its key mission is to raise the engagement and progression rates CSE's vision statement is Creativity that works which reflects a passionate belief that only by inspiring and capturing the imagination of youngsters in science through the development of ‘creativity-rich’ resources and activities can we reverse the trend away from science careers and qualifications. But the creativity has to work, that is, allow youngsters to reach the highest levels of attainment they are possible of. This combined approach, to higher standards, as well as higher levels of engagement and motivation, are hallmarks of all the Centre’s projects.
Setpoints are skilled organisations in facilitating links between education and the wider STEM community while working with other STEM partners. Setpoint South Yorkshire is hosted by Sheffield Hallam University and delivers a range of meaningful activities and schemes for students and teachers. It delivers the largest science week programme in the UK and engages in both research and development projects as well as CPD for teachers. Setpoint South Yorkhsire are the lead partner in the RA3 project.
Science Learning Centres (SLC) provide the highest quality Continuing Professional Development (CPD) for everyone involved in science education, at all levels. There are ten Centres across the UK. The SLC in Yorkshire and Humber provide a range of workshops, presentations and activities with a focus on teaching.
The Industrial Trust provide out of school and in-company educational experiences for young people. They attempt to enthuse young people about, and help to equip them for, careers in industry and do this by taking young people out of school and into companies. Each visit is carefully structured to meet the needs of the visiting children. The Trust liaises between the school and the company to develop a programme that meets learning objectives agreed with the school. The visits that follow offer memorable experiences that excite and inform young people about particular careers or sectors and/or support curricular learning.
Business & Education South Yorkshire works to create links between schools and businesses to enhance the delivery of the Curriculum and raise standards in education as well as helping prepare students for adult and working life. Business & Education South Yorkshire provide companies in the region with a one-stop-shop service for developing links with education. Working with primary, secondary, special schools and colleges across South Yorkshire they supply a wide range of education-business link activities including work experience and teacher placements, enterprise and career related activities. They provide the co-ordination, quality assurance, briefing, guidance and full support for both schools and businesses in all the programmes we offer.