Below is the full list of 'STEM and Science' sessions that we will be running over the course of our two-day virtual festival.
Click on the strand links below to extend the accordion and  view session summaries.

Day 1

9:00am - KEYNOTE: Creating an edtech strategy in times of change

9:00am - KEYNOTE: Creating an edtech strategy in times of change

KEYNOTE: Hannah Woodhouse, Regional Schools Commissioner for the South West at Department for Education

Session summary coming soon

Browse speaker biographies

9:50am - LIVE LESSON WORKSHOP - Year 5 and 6 - Using 3D printers in the classroom - James Beevor & John Dudley, Teachers, Cornerstone and Exeter College

10:45am - Using the weather as a stimulus for learning - Felicity Liggins, Met Office

10:45am - Using the weather as a stimulus for learning - Felicity Liggins, Met Office

Felicity Liggins, Met Office

Weather and climate affect everything, from the way we live, to what we eat, to our personal safety. The Met Office wants to help young people understand the wide-reaching impacts of weather and climate change locally and globally, for people, places and businesses. In this session, Felicity will give an overview of the Met Office’s Education Outreach programme, focusing particularly on its new free set of curriculum-linked resources which aim to spark students’ curiosity in the world around them.

Browse speaker biographies

11:30 - KEYNOTE: Chris Rothwell - Director of Education, Microsoft UK

11:30 - KEYNOTE: Chris Rothwell - Director of Education, Microsoft UK

Chris Rothwell - Director of Education, Microsoft UK

Chris will be talking about what schools were doing with technology before Covid and what the opportunities and requirements are now as we emerge from the other side.

Browse speaker biographies

1:00pm - STEM competitions and kits for the classroom - Chris Goodwill, STEM Ambassador

1:00pm - STEM competitions and kits for the classroom - Chris Goodwill, STEM Ambassador

Chris Goodwill, STEM Ambassador

Ever wondered what STEM competitions there are taking place nationally and internationally right now? Within a digitally connected world there are superb opportunities for students, teachers and educators to take part in an amazing range of exciting and compelling competitive events. Chris will provide an overview of current competitions as well as highlighting those for the next academic year. Want to build a drone, hovercraft or robot? If you are looking for new and engaging STEM kits for the classroom, Chris will also showcase kits which can help inspire the next generation to consider STEM subjects and careers.

Browse speaker biographies

1:45pm - Using Desmos to explore mathematical modelling in STEM - Stuart Allen, Exeter Maths College, Maths Teacher

1:45pm - Using Desmos to explore mathematical modelling in STEM - Stuart Allen, Exeter Maths College, Maths Teacher

Stuart Allen, Exeter Maths College, Maths Teacher

In this session we will look at the use of the free graphing software Desmos to explore ways of engaging KS3 Maths students with mathematical modelling. The session will be hands-on and will include demonstrations of activities that can be used with students. No previous experience of using Desmos will be required and all resources will be shared with delegates. It would be worth having Desmos open on a device during the session.

Browse speaker biographies

2:30pm - Taking part in the Global Enterprise Challenge - Bronnie Williams and Chloe Farrant, Lead Teachers, Cornerstone

2:30pm - Taking part in the Global Enterprise Challenge - Bronnie Williams and Chloe Farrant, Lead Teachers, Cornerstone

Bronnie Williams and Chloe Farrant, Lead Teachers, Cornerstone

Come and see the Global Enterprise Challenge in action. Join a company of Year Sixes putting together their final report. This is the final step in a challenge in which they have utilised every digital tool available to them and followed a project-based learning model to form a successful company and compete on a Global platform.

Browse speaker biographies

3:15pm - KEYNOTE: Anthony Salcito - VP Worldwide Education, Microsoft

3:15pm - KEYNOTE: Anthony Salcito - VP Worldwide Education, Microsoft

Anthony Salcito - VP Worldwide Education, Microsoft

Session summary coming soon

Browse speaker biographies

Day 2

9:00am - PANEL DISCUSSION: Lessons learnt from lockdown

9:00am - PANEL DISCUSSION: Lessons learnt from lockdown

Chaired by Ty Goddard, EdTech Demonstrator Programme

More information coming soon

Browse speaker biographies

9:50am - Practical in the time of pandemic - Joe Rowing, Science Teacher, Exeter Maths School

9:50am - Practical in the time of pandemic - Joe Rowing, Science Teacher, Exeter Maths School

Joe Rowling, Science Teacher, Exeter Maths School

Session summary coming soon

Browse speaker biographies

10:45am - Promoting STEM engagement with Vex Robotics. - Michael Cronk, Teacher Co-ordinator, Royal Academy of Engineering

10:45am - Promoting STEM engagement with Vex Robotics. - Michael Cronk, Teacher Co-ordinator, Royal Academy of Engineering

Michael Cronk, Head of Computer Science, Colyton Grammar School

The session will look at the VEX Robotics IQ (KS2 to 3) and EDR/V5 (KS3 to 5) platforms as well as the new virtual VEX VR platform. We will look at how they can be used in the classroom to deliver Computing / Computer Science as well as Design and Technology to make the curriculum engaging and relevant to students. The session will include a live demo of KS2 students using the VEX VR platform. We will also look at the opportunities for using in extra-curricular clubs and entering competitions. Finally we will look at funding opportunities and how to get started.

Browse speaker biographies

11:30am - KEYNOTE: John Laramy - Principal and Chief Executive, Exeter College

11:30am - KEYNOTE: John Laramy - Principal and Chief Executive, Exeter College

John Laramy - Principal and Chief Executive, Exeter College

Session summary coming soon

Browse speaker biographies

1:00pm The Royal Academy of Engineering STEM resources - Power up! and Light saver - Beverly Maloney, Teacher Co-ordinator, Royal Academy of Engineers

1:00pm The Royal Academy of Engineering STEM resources - Power up! and Light saver - Beverly Maloney, Teacher Co-ordinator, Royal Academy of Engineers

Beverly Maloney, Teacher Co-ordinator, Royal Academy of Engineers

Join this workshop to receive training on two Royal Academy of Engineering STEM resources; Power up! and Light saver. 

  Power up! looks at different types of energy, the importance of electricity and how it is generated. It investigates different types of renewable energy sources through a number of hands-on practical activities.   

Light saver investigates how properties of light have been used to develop a new light-based technique to help diagnose and monitor the health of babies's brains.   

Find out about the Royal Academy of Engineering's Connecting STEM Teacher's programme, how to join the network and who your local Teacher Coordinator is. The Connecting STEM Teachers programme is a national network of support for teachers across all STEM subjects, ensuring they have the knowledge and confidence to engage a greater number and wider spectrum of school students within STEM. 

Browse speaker biographies

1:45pm - STEM Club adventures in Micro:bit land - Dr Matthew Mizielinkski, Climate Data Delivery Manager, Met Office Hadley Centre

1:45pm - STEM Club adventures in Micro:bit land - Dr Matthew Mizielinkski, Climate Data Delivery Manager, Met Office Hadley Centre

Dr Matthew Mizielinkski, Climate Data Delivery Manager, Met Office Hadley Centre

In three years of designing and running small group STEM activities for an afterschool club I have tried a number of different approaches and technologies for getting KS2 students interested in programming. The most successful of these have been using the micro:bit and the Microsoft MakeCode tools to connect to other devices/sensors, and I will present an introduction to three activities that have worked well; building light meters (and using them to measure the speed of a vortex), remote controlling roving robots, and animating rainbows with NeoPixels. In addition I’ll give a brief introduction to the STEM ambassador scheme and how to access it.

Browse speaker biographies

2:30pm - LIVE LESSON WORKSHOP: Year 3 - Ed-tech in school sports - Mark Harrison, Teacher, Cornerstone

2:30pm - LIVE LESSON WORKSHOP: Year 3 - Ed-tech in school sports - Mark Harrison, Teacher, Cornerstone

Mark Harrison, Teacher, Cornerstone

This practical session will be focused on achieving a new personal best in the standing long jump, a core event in Primary Athletics. Through the use of video, pupils will record and reflect on their initial technique in this event and share their findings in a group discussion whilst also reviewing slow motion examples of this event. Finally, based through putting their findings into practice pupils will look to improve on their previous performance.

Browse speaker biographies

3:15pm - KEYNOTE: Education Re-Imagined: What Matters Most - Mark Sparvell, Microsoft

3:15pm - KEYNOTE: Education Re-Imagined: What Matters Most - Mark Sparvell, Microsoft

Mark Sparvell - Education Leader, Microsoft

Session: Education Re-Imagined: What Matters Most

In this hilarious closing keynote Australian award winning education leader, Mark Sparvell, from Microsoft Worldwide will draw from hot-of-the-press research to examine the now, the near and the next for education and the role technology can play in humanizing and not simply digitizing the experience.

Browse speaker biographies

Meet the speakers
Browse full agenda
Browse agenda via strands