At Budmouth Academy, we want to ensure students get the opportunity to experience the fascinating world of STEM within and outside regular academic study. Through a variety of enrichment and extracurricular activities, we endeavour to increase the uptake of STEM related subjects at A-level and progression into STEM related careers.
What is STEM?
STEM stands for science, technology, engineering and mathematics.
In education, it means the study of these subjects, either exclusively or in combination. In employment, STEM refers to a job requiring the application of science, technology, engineering and mathematics skills or a qualification in a relevant subject, or located in a particular industry or sector. There is no universally accepted definition in either setting.
Since the early 2000s there has been growing concern, including from the government, about how to achieve higher productivity and economic growth in an era of rapid technological change. Over time, this has generated the widely held belief that one of the UK’s key economic problems is a shortage of STEM skills in the workforce.
People can develop formal STEM skills and knowledge in different ways, either in an educational setting or in the workplace. This can be seen as a ‘pipeline’, through which learners move in order to acquire more advanced abilities. The key routes for developing STEM knowledge and skills are: schools and sixth-form colleges; further education colleges; apprenticeships, which mix work with formal off-the-job training; and higher education institutions.
STEM at Budmouth
STEM is delivered through a rich and engaging curriculum that inspires curiosity, creativity, and problem-solving. Students study a wide range of STEM subjects including Science, Mathematics, Computing, Design & Technology and Creator Space, with lessons designed to link theory to real-world applications. Beyond the classroom, we offer a variety of extracurricular clubs such as robotics, coding, and engineering challenges, alongside exciting school trips to universities, science centers, and industry workplaces. We regularly welcome external visitors – including scientists, engineers, and local business professionals – to share their expertise and inspire our learners. Students also have opportunities to participate in regional and national STEM competitions, helping them build teamwork and innovation skills. Our dedicated Futures (careers) programme provides guidance on STEM pathways, ensuring every student is well-prepared for future study and careers in these dynamic fields.
10 STEM Key Facts
- £990m spent on, or committed to, key STEM-specific interventions between 2007 and autumn 2017
- 442,000 undergraduate enrolments in STEM subjects in 2015/16
- 24% of graduates in STEM subjects known to be working in a STEM occupation six months later
- 700,000 additional STEM technicians the Gatsby Charitable Foundation estimates will be needed to meet employer demand in the decade to 2024
- 112,000 STEM apprenticeship starts in 2016/17
- 8% of STEM apprenticeships started by women in 2016/17, despite women accounting for over 50% of all apprenticeship starts
- £80 million government investment in national colleges, including in high-speed rail; nuclear; onshore oil and gas; and digital
- 2.6% rise in the number of STEM A level examination entries in 2016/17 compared with the previous year
- 30.9% fall in the number of enrolments in part-time undergraduate STEM degrees between 2011/12 and 2015/16
- £200 million government capital investment in higher education STEM provision in 2015/16
