Comenius Regio Project

EUR-EMSET: Excellence in mathematics and

the natural sciences, environmental

education and technology: a European

approach to enquiry-based learning

Both partner Local Authorities have identified:

a need to improve the quality of education in mathematics and the natural sciences – and

to increase the take-up of these subjects in upper secondary and higher education.

The project aims to achieve stimulating teaching and learning in science, maths and environmental education, through developing a joint framework for supporting…

- student involvement in learning – taking into account their preferred modes of learning

- development of key competences – in particular in numeracy, science and technology, ICT and learning to learn

- cross-curricular collaboration; shared learning activities between schools in the European partner countries – in particular through imaginative uses of ICT for shared investigation and communication;

- joint projects with relevant community groups outside formal education

- joint methodological development involving Local Authority advisers and consultants, Higher Education establishments, teachers and support staff, community actors – and students as co-constructors of learning.

The main focus will be on:developing collaborative, competence-focused

approaches to teaching and learning in the natural sciences

raising the motivation of students in lower secondary education

increasing the proportion of students opting to study the natural sciences in upper secondary and higher education

providing alternative ways of learning relevant to disaffected learners and those at risk of school failure.

Work Programme - GloucestershireA Joint Project Management Group (JPMG) will be

established, including the Project Co-ordinator (Martina Pilling – City of Västerås), the GCC Project Manager (Mary Wormington - GCC), the Project Consultants (Penny Krucker and Martin Whittle), a representative of each partner organisation, and a teacher from each of the participating schools.

Meets at trans-national project meetings Oct 3-7 2009 in VästeråsFeb 6-10 2010 in Gloucester(now to be negotiated!)

Next steps…Setting up of Project Steering Groups (PSG)

in SE and UK of partner representatives, with teachers of Ma,Sc,Envir,Tech – together with students from partner schools. Meet once per term and report to JPMG

Setting up of WIKI - Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) within the project - Trevor Davies - University of Reading

System set up. All partners to log onto system. Trevor Davies to attend January meeting to fully explain procedures/potential

Project partners (Västerås)Västerås Stad – Conny StrömproAros – Martina Pilling, Helena Lilja, Askövikens Naturskola – Christer Svensk, Bodil LövgrenABB – Lena Eliasson (Personnel Manager)Mälardalens Högskola – Margareta EnghagVästmanlands Kommuner och Landsting – Ove SvensonMediecenter Mälardalen AB – Mats Persson HolmVafabmiljö – Britt-Inger OlssonLindboskolan – Christer Hansson (Headteacher), Kajsa Källberg,

Christer AnderssonSt Ilianskolan – Peter Johansson and Eva Johansson

(Headteachers), Martina Kulläng, Alexandra D Rönnbyskolan – Anneli Alesson (Headteacher), Carina

Björklund, Maria Larsson

Project partners (Gloucestershire)Gloucestershire International Education Office - Mary

Wormington (European Information Manager)Science Manager, GCC- Alex Fleming Maths Manager, GCC - Steve Lomax University of Gloucestershire – Jane MooreGloucestershire First - Sue Stoner The Wilderness Centre – Sally MorleyForest Education Business Partnership - Andy RobertsonSTEMworks – Ed White Real Ideas Organisation - Richard Martin Wyedean School - Elaine Turner - Head of MathsCirencester Deer Park School - Gail Stevens, Head of MathsBussage C of E Primary School – Greg Bastow Project Consultants - Penny Krucker, Martin Whittle