A Catalyst article about Quantum Tunnelling Composite, a material discovered in 1997 and whose resistance decreases dramatically under pressure. How does it work and what uses will it have? The material has been carefully characterised (to understand its composition and how it works), and its first applications...

This strategy report looks at students' need for high quality information, advice and guidance (IAG) to help them make decisions and enable them to access the support and opportunities they need. This strategy sets out the steps that are being taken to improve the IAG offered, the importance of responding to a...

The British Science Association has been running the STEM enrichment programme for young people for almost 30 years.  This report is the first quantitative evidence of the impact of extra-curricular STEM interventions.

The report reveals that undertaking a CREST Silver Award appears to have a significant...

The questions in this framework can help governing bodies identify areas to celebrate or challenge in their schools, enabling them to work with their senior leaders to drive improvement. This framework aims to enable governors to perform at their best, exemplifying an approach which could benefit all curriculum...

This guide from the Department for Education is designed to help teachers, learners, employers and anyone involved in work experience develop strategies for creating good quality placements for young people aged 14–19. The Quick Guide for STEM Work Experience Placements has a question and answer format to assist...

A Catalyst article which explores how the nervous system works. Sensitivity, the ability to respond to stimulation, is a product of nervous system activity. How nerve impulses pass around the body, and why these responses are so fast are investigated in the article. Neurones, reflexes, synapses and receptors are...

A Catalyst article explaining how weather forecasts can help keep the public safe in extreme situations by providing advance warnings: for example, airline pilots rely on accurate information about the development of thunderstorms to help them decide which routes might be at risk from lightning or violent...

A Catalyst article about the safe use of radiation. Radioactive materials are hazardous because they give out ionising radiation. Like many scientific discoveries, radioactivity provokes a mixed reaction. Some seek to commercialise it whilst films and comic books emphasise its harmful effects. The article takes the...

A Catalyst article about how decisions taken about controversial issues such as the sitting of a radioactive waste store. How does a government decide where to put such a dump? And how can citizens affect the decision making process? The article examines how governments try to involve their citizens in decision-...

A Catalyst article about radioactivity that was being spread among wildlife species in the Arctic in ways that no one had detected before. The source of this radioactive contamination and how radioactivity is detected are investigated.

This article is from Catalyst: GCSE Science Review 2004, Volume 15, Issue...

A Catalyst article about radiation and the many uses it has in medicine, both in finding out what is wrong with a patient (diagnosis) and in the treatment of cancer (therapy). The radiation used in medicine can come from electromagnetic radiation or from radioactive materials such as isotopes; the scanners using...

A Catalyst article about careers using radiography in medical procedures. The article looks at a typical working day for a radiographer, the types of radiography used, how to become a radiographer and the qualifications available.

This article is from GCSE Science Review 2006, Volume 16, Issue 3.

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This case study from Ofsted describes the development of an innovative and relevant design and technology curriculum at Turnford School, which has secured high levels of engagement and achievement.

The department formed a partnership with Mindsets to help modernise what was previously a very traditional...

This Working Paper has been written to inform all those who are concerned about the status and nature of Design & Technology in the secondary school curriculum. It has been developed in response to the serious and continuing decline in the uptake of GCSE Design & Technology since the subject was introduced...

The shortage of specialist teachers of mathematics has been a concern for many years and this resource, from the Learning and Skills Improvement Service (LSIS), is designed to help organisations focus upon a plan of action, which will lead to better recruitment and retention of mathematics teachers.

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