Promoting the Study of Science through Links with Schools: City and Islington College

This Ofsted resource looks at teachers from City and Islington College who stimulate the interest of school students in science and other STEM-related subjects, work in schools with teachers and students and invite them to the college.

The college also hosts a careers convention where students meet working scientists and engineers to learn about employment opportunities.

• For a number of years, the college has worked closely with school teachers and staff from the local authority to promote the study of science and raise awareness of science and science-related careers.

• They offer curriculum support and share good practice about successful ways to make science teaching more interesting and innovative.

• The uptake of triple science GCSEs in Islington’s schools was low. A collaborative project, partly funded by the Learning Skills Network (LSN), sought to increase the enthusiasm among school students for science through a series of activities.

• The college hosts science and STEM careers day for students from local schools. Three events have been organised, each one recording an increase in the number of schools and pupils involved.

• Since May 2010, the college has been the London Learning and Skills Improvement Service (LSIS) STEM centre, in partnership with the London Science Learning Centre.

• City and Islington College is a large general further education college operating from four main sites and over 25 satellite sites and community venues in the London Borough of Islington. The Borough is an area of great social contrast, with prosperity mixed with poverty and deprivation. It is rated as the sixth most deprived of 354 local authorities. It is an ethnically diverse area and 53% of students classify themselves as belonging to a minority ethnic group.