Definitive collection of teaching resources coming to the National Science Learning Centre (SLC) in York

national stem learning centre

Source: With permissions from STEM learning

National Science Learning Centre (now the National STEM Learning Centre, renamed January 2016)

In March the Government announced a £5 million extension to the National Science Learning Centre (SLC) in York designed to allow science teachers and lecturers access to a definitive collection of science, technology engineering and maths (STEM) teaching resources. The new national STEM Resource Centre will be funded for five years by the Gatsby Charitable Foundation and the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF).  

The Centre will collect together in one place all the government, learned society, charitable foundation and commercial STEM curriculum support resources published over the past 25 years. In addition to the construction of the Centre in York, which is scheduled to be completed by the end of 2009, teachers will be able to access many of the resources via a related website.  

According to national STEM director, Professor John Holman, 'the Centre will provide a focal point for STEM activity, ensuring that all partners are working together to provide the resources and support that teachers and lecturers need to inspire young people and demonstrate the exciting opportunities offered by science technology, engineering and mathematics'. Holman will appoint a dedicated director to manage the Centre who will build a STEM community to achieve the Government's national STEM programme aim to ensure that STEM support is delivered in the most effective way to every school, college, teacher and student. 

Project Enthuse adds to good news

The plans for the new Centre follow the announcement made in the March Budget statement that a partnership between Government, the Wellcome Trust and industry will invest £30 million over the next five years in a project to offer training to science teachers at the national SLC. Project Enthuse aims to give every science teacher in secondary and further education in the UK the opportunity to develop and update their subject knowledge and teaching skills by providing bursaries to attend CPD courses on offer at the York-based Centre.