Ask any millennial what they think of when you say the word ‘scientist’ and they will probably give you a description of an Einsteinesque figure wearing thick glasses and a white lab coat, tinkering with some chemicals or perhaps a microscope.

While there have been men and women, both old and young, of all races, shapes and sizes making incredible scientific discoveries for generations, the typecast of a scientist almost always comes back to the white, middle-aged man.

This British Science Week (5-14 March 2021) Northumberland Church of England Academy Trust is backing the #SmashingStereotypes campaign to show just how diverse the science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) sectors actually are, and shine a light on some of the amazing career opportunities to be had within the industry.

Meet Danny – a girl in science

Daniela “Danny” Schnitzler is a 27-year old PhD student at the University of Edinburgh.

Originally hailing from Vienna, Austria, Danny came to the UK to complete her undergraduate studies in Physiology at the University of Aberdeen before moving to the Scottish capital to pursue her doctorate.

Having nurtured an interest in science from an early age, Danny always knew she wanted to do something ‘a bit different’ when she grew up.

“My parents instilled a real love of learning in me from an early age,” Danny said.

“They took me museums, encouraged me to read and watch documentaries – the first DVD I ever owned was BBC’s ‘Walking with Dinosaurs’. I watched it on repeat!

“I really wanted to be an archaeologist when I was little, but it was my natural curiosity about how things work which eventually pushed me toward biology.”

‘Learn the book and you’ll be ok’

Growing up in Vienna, where the school system is quite different to what we know in the UK, Danny was provided with a good, all-round education in a wide variety of subjects, although she confesses that her “terrible” biology teacher did nothing to further her interest in science.

“The curriculum in Austria isn’t very flexible. Everyone studies the same subjects until they’re 15 then you get to choose from just two academic routes – Mathematical where you can do 3D drawing and Italian; or Language, where you can study Latin and French. You don’t drop any subjects, these just get added to your timetable until you leave school at 18.

“I loved school for the learning, but the system was just so restrictive, there wasn’t the same level of opportunities for girls and boys.

“Although I enjoyed most subjects, I was still drawn towards science, but this was more to do with my parents’ encouragement than my teacher’s – my biology teacher in particular was so uninspiring, it was just a case of ‘learn the book and you’ll be ok’.”

“I’ve never been easily grossed out, except by little dead fish!”

Despite this, Danny was accepted onto the undergraduate Masters programme in Physiology (the study of how the body works) at the University of Aberdeen. Over the course of five years, Danny worked towards her MSci degree, gaining industry experience along the way which helped her to realise that she preferred the academic research element of biology more than its practical application in industry.

“There were too many constraints in a commercial lab environment and although the salary would have been undoubtedly much better, I wanted the freedom to explore ideas.

“I’ve never been easily grossed out, except by little dead fish, so working with live tissues in order to better understand how the human body works was always something that I knew I could do, I just needed to narrow in on a field of study.”

“I’ll be a Doctor when I graduate, but the Ross Gellar kind, not a GP!”

PhD projects are typically put forward by the government or a charity, who will then fund a student to conduct research. In Danny’s case, it was a project suggested by her supervisor that saw Danny relocate to Edinburgh to commence her research into the impact of stress during pregnancy in mammals and the likelihood of the offspring developing anxiety in later life.

“It’s a really fascinating piece of work – there’s lots of research but also a big practical element too,” Danny explained.

“I spend a lot of time in the University lab, conducting experiments and analysing data. At the moment, I’m studying my research model in rats, looking at the behaviour of pregnant females in different environments where they’re exposed to stress and then studying their offspring to denote any behavioural changes as they mature.

“Lots of people think that animal testing is cruel and inhumane, but it’s a necessary part of the progression of science. Without it, we wouldn’t find cures for diseases and we certainly wouldn’t have been able to roll out the Covid-19 vaccine as fast as we did.

“The UK actually has the best standards in the world for the use of animals in laboratory environments. Every practitioner needs to be registered and every experimental plan needs to be pre-approved by a vet. It’s so closely regulated, everything needs to be justified and recorded.”

That’s not to say that to have a career in science that you have to perform experiments using animals. There are a wide range of different study areas within biology alone which look at things like plants, viruses, bacteria and drug development.

“If you’re curious about how things work, then science could be a good choice for you”

When asked what advice she would give to a young person thinking about pursuing a career in the sciences, Danny said: “It can be daunting at the age of 15/16 when you’re choosing your options to really think about what you want to do in the future. I’d say, if you’re curious about how things work, then science could be a good choice for you. Plus, there are so many different paths you can go down with science, you can adapt as you go, so there’s no such thing as ‘wrong’ choice.

“Another thing I’d say is, lots of people think that science is all academic, but actually, it can be creative too. When you’re designing experiments and trying different methods, creativity is a big part of the process.”

Girls who run the world

When she’s not in the lab, Danny can usually be found at home or out walking in the Pentland Hills with her partner, Cameron, and their three dogs, Charlie, Sid and Harry. In what spare time she does get, Danny is a huge advocate of women’s rights and runs her own ethical jewellery business online, where for every item she sells, another is donated to a women’s shelter.

“All of the jewellery I make is inspired by strong female figures from history, including scientists like Marie Curie, whose research into radiotherapy founded an early treatment for cancer and Hedy Lamarr, who pioneered the technology now used in WiFi and Bluetooth.

“It would be great to see more young people and especially girls taking an interest in science – we’re very outnumbered in laboratories, especially in academic settings!”

To find out more about the British Science Week #SmashingStereotypes campaign, visit: https://www.britishscienceweek.org/

To celebrate ‘Programming for Primaries Week’, we spoke with experts from across the digital industry to better understand why teaching digital skills to children from an early age is so important to both their educational journey and their future career prospects.

Broadly defined as the tools needed for a person to “use digital devices, communication applications and networks to access and manage information”, the term ‘digital skills’ covers a wide range of topics and competencies – from the fundamentals of how to access the internet, right through to writing code.

While many of today’s school-age young people have been using digital devices since they were old enough to walk, there are still a startling volume of people; not only among older generations, who lack the basic computer literacy to support themselves in their personal and working lives.

So, why are digital skills so important? And why should we be ensuring that these skills are developed from an early age?

In the modern world, there are few jobs available which don’t require some level of digital savvy. From cash registers to contactless payments and emails to video conferencing, the business of business relies heavily on computer technologies and as time goes on, this is only going to increase.

Our reliance on technology has been brought into even starker contrast through the Coronavirus pandemic. During the extensive periods of lockdown, our computers and mobile devices have enabled us to work, learn and socialise from home – helping millions of people to stay connected at a time when we had to physically keep apart.

While hope is on the horizon for a return to ‘normal’ on 21 June, whatever the new normal looks like, many of the diversifications that organisations have had to make in the past year are likely to stick around for some time to come.

James Lane, Sector Manager for Digital at education and skills charity and national awarding organisation, NCFE, commented:

“The digital skills that were once seen as ‘desirable’ by employers are now necessary requirements. While this is of course a reactive response to the current situation, the skills that children as young as six have acquired through the course of remote learning will (if maintained) stand them in good stead for what is almost certainly going to be the ‘new normal’ of learning and working life.

“The need for these skills is twofold. Firstly, all jobs require some element of digital awareness – to even apply for a job in most industries, employers expect applicants to either fill in an application online, or submit a CV via email. Secondly, in light of the pandemic, the digital sector is growing. Businesses have had to adapt in order to remain trading through lockdown which has seen a boom in e-commerce and the demand for web-based services – creating subsequent job opportunities for digital experts with the right skill sets.”

While ICT (Information and Communication Technology) has been part of the UK’s National Curriculum since 2009, some of the more advanced elements, such as programming and coding, are not introduced until learners reach secondary school.

It’s felt by the digital community that Year 8 (age 13+) is just too late to introduce this into the curriculum, which is why Programming for Primaries Week was launched back in 2014 to shine a spotlight on the support and resources that are available to primary schools to help introduce these skills earlier.

James continued:

“For those wanting to enter the digital sector as a programmer or software developer, programming skills are obviously essential – but the fundamentals of these actually sit in the language of logic.

“When we talk about programming languages, such as Python and C#, the conversation can sometimes focus on syntax, ie, how pieces of code are strung together. Naturally, as technology continues to advance, we don’t know what programming language might look like 20 years from now, but it could be a matter of syntax, which is why teaching children and young people the fundamentals of how and why things work in the way they do is so important for their skill development.”

Matt Peters, Managing Director at EdTech provider, U-Explore, which specialises in careers guidance for young people in schools and colleges, added:

“The role that schools play in helping to set learners up for future success is as much about equipping them with the skills they need as it is the aspiration to pursue digital as a career path.

“As we continue to transition to a more digital economy, we’re going to see more and more demand across a wide range of industry sectors for candidates with highly-developed digital skills to fill those ‘next generation’ job roles.

“While we might not know exactly what the requirements of these roles will be yet, the earlier we are able to introduce children and young people to the digital industry and start to develop their skills and confidence in using computers, the better.”

In some respects, the imposed lockdown caused by the pandemic has actually benefitted some pupils’ digital literacy, as they have had no choice but to learn how to access classes and complete and submit work remotely. For others, lockdown has simply further highlighted the digital skills gap which exists, most commonly in those areas of high economic deprivation. In some cases, the digital skills gap is generational, in others, the lack of understanding is due to lack of access.

Northumberland Church of England Academy Trust (NCEAT) has issued over 800 Chromebooks and reformatted laptops to learners across its primary and secondary campuses throughout lockdown to support them with their remote learning.

Roger Pearson, Network Manager at NCEAT, commented:

“The ICT team are delighted to have been able to provide so many devices to learners to support them with remote schooling during the pandemic, using both converted inhouse netbooks and DfE supplied Chromebooks, which the Trust are able to keep for future use. Our integrated suite of Google applications and other online curriculum systems like Purple Mash has made it easy for pupils to share their work back and forward and for teachers to issue resources and host live lessons as well as keep in touch with each other via email. This level of interaction has helped pupils to stay on top of their learning and will stand them in good stead to integrate quickly back into full-time schooling.”

For more information about NCFE visit www.ncfe.org.uk or for details about U-Explore, visit website.u-explore.com/.

With fantastically talented women accounting for 84.6% of our staff at Northumberland Church of England Academy Trust (NCEAT), we celebrate women’s achievements every day, but as its International Women’s Day, it gives us an excuse to shout about it!

#ChooseToChallenge

The campaign theme this year for International Women’s Day is #ChooseToChallenge. Across the business world, there are many industries where women are continually overlooked for promotions and are paid significantly less for doing the same job as their male colleagues.
Through the #ChooseToChallenge campaign, the International Women’s Day movement hopes to celebrate women’s achievements, raise awareness against bias and encourage everyone, everywhere to take action for equality.

Equality in Education

While the teaching profession is heavily favoured by women, beyond a certain seniority level, even in the education sector there is evidence of inequality.

In a recent study by Dods D&I – a UK-based provider of educational events centred around the evolving landscape of diversity and inclusion, it stated: “In schools, the teaching profession is overwhelmingly female, and yet male teachers are almost twice as likely to hold leadership positions as their female colleagues.”

The report goes on to explore the reasons behind this disparity in schools in both rate of progression between male and female educators, and the gender pay gap, citing maternity care and related bias as one of the key contributing factors.

Championing equality at NCEAT

At NCEAT, we are fortunate to have so many incredibly talented women on our payroll. Across the Trust, three of our four school principals are women and all of our heads of campus. Within our Central Services team too, the majority of our heads of key operational departments, including finance, HR, data and estates management, are female.

As an employer, we champion equality at every opportunity and see it as our privilege to lead by example to educate the children and young people in our care about diversity and inclusion. Through our connection with the Dioceses of Newcastle and County Durham, as well as our resident Chaplain, our staff and pupils are encouraged to reach their full potential in regard to their academic, physical, moral and spiritual development.

To celebrate International Women’s Day, we asked some of the inspiring principals, teachers and heads of department from across the Trust to share their thoughts on what it means to them to be a woman in education/business. Here’s what they had to say…

Sandra Brown, Safeguarding and Compliance Director at NCEA Trust:
“I am proud to be the Safeguarding and Compliance Director for the NCEA trust, helping to ensure that our standards are high and that the safety and welfare of our pupils is paramount in all of our schools.

“In a society which is so forward-thinking in so many respects, it is sad that the lack of knowledge, awareness and acceptance of girls and women’s needs can result in gender stereotyping and other hidden forms of discrimination.

“Through regular training, our staff are well-equipped to handle safeguarding issues across a range of topics, including gender-based discrimination and sexual abuse. While we might not be able to change the world, we have a vital role to play in ensuring that our pupils – whatever their gender – have the knowledge and understanding they need to become well-rounded young people and an asset to our communities.”

Dawn Watson, Assessment and Accreditation Lead at Castle School:
“I have often heard it said that if you are able to play the piano, or happen to be a man, then you will easily get a job in a school and go far in the education sector. I have neither the musical dexterity nor the human anatomy to fit in either of those categories however my career choice has long since ceased and I am living my calling. I never know what joys and challenges each day will bring and as a teacher and leader it’s a balancing act living between comfort and risk, but as John Ortberg said: ‘if you want to walk on water, you’ve got to get out of the boat’.”

Alison Alden, Director of Finance and Central Services at NCEA Trust:
“I found this quote by Joanne Clancy a while ago and it really resonated with me: ‘Be the kind of woman that when your feet hit the floor each morning, the devil says “Oh no, she’s up”.’

“That’s the kind of woman I want to be and the kind of person – male or female – that I want all of our pupils to be. Sadly, the reality is that we still live in a world where gender can limit your ambition and your progress.
“Changing that is on us all.”

Melanie Hinson, Principal at Bishop’s Primary School:
“My favourite book when I was growing up was Little Women, I just loved the passion and determination of the sisters. Each had their own ambitions, but I was particularly inspired by Jo who strived against the odds to follow her dream of becoming a writer. My dream was to become a teacher and ultimately a Headteacher and I was fortunate to be surrounded by family and friends who were supportive of my passion.

“Part of my role is leading a team of strong female Heads of Campus all of whom juggle many roles within their lives, they are daughters, mothers, partners, friends as well as capable and compassionate school leaders.

“During challenging times, our team is strengthened by the support we give each other. We all share the responsibility to nurture the next generation of women to encourage them to believe in themselves and make the most of any opportunities which may arise. We want them to see that every possibility is open to them, aim for the top and ultimately lead happy and fulfilled lives.”

Gillian Robinson, Primary Teacher at Castle School:
“I am proud to say that at NCEA trust we focus on great teachers, inspirational leaders and the potential of each individual regardless of demographic. This has helped me to see no limits in what is possible in my career development as a woman.

“I want to support others to see their possibilities, and demonstrate strong leadership in order to inspire others regardless of my gender.”

Amy Thompson, Head of Campus at Bishop’s Primary School – William Leech Campus:
“I’m very proud to lead one of our Campuses at Bishop’s Primary School and see the transformation that education can provide for children and their community. In my role I get to work alongside other leaders, both male and female, within the Trust and from other agencies who inspire and support me. Leading a team which makes a difference to children’s lives and their understanding of the world around them is a huge privilege and it’s wonderful when pupils come back to visit to share what they’re doing now thanks to something that we put in place at our Campus.”

Louise Gatti, Subject Lead Art and Design at Duke’s Secondary School:
“To me, to be a woman in education is to have drive, enthusiasm and high levels of commitment. To be able to raise levels of attainment and achievement with all learners and have a dynamic approach to teaching and learning where my lessons are both challenging and fun. To use contemporary practices and artists to inspire learners in the world they live in now; where both men and women can be successful by sharing light and being positive and kind.”

Clare Marriott, Head of Campus at Bishop’s Primary School – Josephine Butler Campus:
“I have always been proud to be a teacher and enjoy my role as Head of Campus, but it is not my qualifications, strength or tenacity that get me through a day, a week, a term, it is the people around me.

“Each and every one of us has qualities and characteristics that we can share. In turn those qualities make up the team and by leading that team I am able to benefit from them all.

“I spin many plates in my day to day life; family friends, staff, children, parents, community. I often think I am going to run out of energy to keep it all going, but with a team around me, I get up and carry on, I have the drive to do my best and I am reminded every day why I chose this profession – to inspire others to learn, to enjoy learning and all it provides.

“As Charlie MacKesy says: ‘Sometimes just getting up and carrying on is brave and magnificent’. I believe everyone working in education is brave and magnificent.”

As part of a new project to improve access to high-quality careers guidance, Northumberland Church of England Academy Trust (NCEAT) has teamed up with not-for-profit organisation, Smart Works Newcastle, to provide one-to-one support for the parents and carers of its pupils.

The free to access service, which will initially be delivered by the in-house careers team at Duke’s Secondary School (part of NCEAT), will be available to parents and carers of children across the NCEA Trust who might be looking to change career, retrain or get back into work following an extended period of absence.

Following an initial consultation with a careers advisor, service users can be signposted to a number of different outlets, including Smart Works Newcastle, where they can explore routes back into education, the workplace or even a new market sector.

An exclusive service for women, Smart Works is a national organisation which supports women of all ages and backgrounds to build their confidence and skills to help them secure work.

Offering a wide range of services including CV writing, interview coaching and general careers advice as well as providing free work appropriate clothing to those who have confirmed job interviews. Smart Works has supported thousands of women across the UK into successful employment.

In becoming a referral partner to Smart Works’ Employment Support service, NCEAT will be able to signpost mums, sisters, aunties and carers to the service, where they can receive additional support.

Helen Boyd, Service Delivery Lead at Smart Works Newcastle, commented:

“One of the few benefits of the pandemic is taking our Smart Works Newcastle service virtual, meaning we can support more women across the North East. We want to help as many women as we can to build confidence in their skills and abilities and gain sustainable employment. Our amazing coaches can support at any stage of the job search from first roles out of school to those returning to the workplace. We are really looking forward to working with the Trust and their families.”

The partnership announcement comes as NCEA Trust schools have been celebrating National Careers Week (1-6 March).

The annual event, which celebrates careers guidance and free resources in education to help young people make informed choices about their futures has been a little different this year in light of the ongoing pandemic, with the majority of sessions for learners being held remotely. Within the campaign messaging however, there has also been an embedded sense of urgency to ensure that young people leaving school or college at the end of this academic year are as prepared as they can be for the world of work amidst a backdrop of high unemployment and labour market shifts.

While it is imperative that we support our young people to make sure they don’t fall through the gap between leaving full-time education and entering the workplace, we feel that it is just as important to provide the same level of support to parents and carers.

Natalie Cain, Careers Advisor at NCEAT, commented:

“We’re really excited about the launch of our new careers service. There is more emphasis on careers education in schools than there has ever been, and while it’s wonderful to see our pupils benefitting from this, we strongly felt that this could have a wider impact in the local community if we were to roll it out to parents and carers – especially in the current economic climate with so many people being furloughed or made redundant.

“Working together with Smart Works Newcastle on the project is really exciting – the work they do with women across the country is incredible and I look forward to seeing some of our own parents and carers across the Trust benefit from their expertise.

“While Smart Works Newcastle is exclusively a service for women, that doesn’t mean we’ve forgotten the gentlemen out there who might also need some additional support! Our in-house careers service is available to all and we hope to expand our range of partnerships as the project progresses.”

Watch this space for further details coming soon!

Careers guidance appointments for parents and carers are available every Friday afternoon between 2-4pm. If you have any questions or to make an appointment, email careers@dukes.ncea.org.uk.

For more information about Smart Works Newcastle, visit: smartworks.org.uk/newcastle-smart-works.

A Northumberland primary school has achieved the School Mental Health Award which is delivered by the Carnegie Centre of Excellence for Mental Health in Schools. NCEA Warkworth C of E Primary School has become one of just five schools across the UK to be awarded a Gold standard for its outstanding mental health and wellbeing provision.

Warkworth Primary School has embedded a wide range of strategies and approaches to support the mental health and wellbeing of pupils, staff and parents, including mindfulness clubs, yoga, a therapy dog, mental health and wellbeing areas in each classroom and daily opportunities to talk about how everyone is feeling. The school has also made mental health and wellbeing awareness central to its PSHE and RSE curriculum and all staff have mental health training as well as access to dedicated Mental Health First Aiders – an offer which extends to pupils and parents.

However, it was Warkworth Primary School’s work to not only support its staff and pupils, but the local community too during lockdown that commended the school to the independent assessor from the Carnegie Centre of Excellence to receive the Gold standard award.

“The implementation of the third national lockdown has affected everybody’s mental health and wellbeing in a big way,” said Laura Ritson, Head Teacher at NCEA Warkworth C of E Primary School.

“While our school remained open to vulnerable children and the children of key workers, the majority of our pupils have been taking part in live daily lessons from home. To help maintain a sense of ‘togetherness’ while we had to stay apart, we organised a community heart campaign where our children designed and delivered a series of paper hearts to residents for them to display in their windows. As part of Children’s Mental Health Week in February, we then completed a ‘walk to wellbeing’ around the village to see how many of our hearts we could find.

“We also sent wellbeing bags containing activities and resources home with pupils to help support pupils and their families, as well as organising weekly live wellbeing sessions to provide a safe space for pupils and their parents to discuss their thoughts and feelings during lockdown. We really do # strive together as one in all that we do at NCEA Warkworth Primary.”

“I am extremely proud of everything our staff, pupils and parents have achieved and to see their hard work rewarded through the School Mental Health Award scheme is absolutely fantastic. We’re now working with all schools within the Trust to really celebrate the great work that is happening across Northumberland Church of England Academy and develop an inclusive wellbeing strategy to support everyone.”

The School Mental Health Award was established in 2017 by the Carnegie Centre of Excellence for Mental Health in Schools – part of Leeds Beckett University – and social enterprise Minds Ahead.

The Carnegie Centre of Excellence for Mental Health in Schools aims to strengthen pupils’ mental health by supporting schools to make a positive change at all levels of the UK’s education system, improving students’ outcomes and life chances.

Professor Damien Page, Dean of Leeds Beckett’s Carnegie School of Education, said: “Achieving this award is not just recognition of a whole-school approach to mental health, it’s a recognition of the school’s commitment to improving the life chances of children.

“We’re truly proud to have worked with Warkworth Primary School in this vital work and look forward to further collaboration.”

Nationally, more than 800 schools have signed up to take part in the mental health award.

Dean Johnstone, founder and CEO of Minds Ahead said: “This award shines a light on the excellent work schools are doing to promote mental health for their community of children and adults.

“It is thrilling and humbling to learn about Warkworth Primary School and the many other schools engaged in the quality award process. I’d like to offer my congratulations on this deserved recognition.”

For more information about Warkworth Primary School, visit www.warkworth.ncea.org.uk.

PHOTO CAPTION: Pupils at Warkworth Primary School with their wellbeing bags.