About

The GFM hosts a multi-user space, for the Gosport community, located in the Bay House Sports Hall. We have sought some sponsorship for the centre’s development. BAE provided us with the vast majority of funds for Phase 1 and 2 along with support from NATS. Local engineering business Flitetrak and signage company Signs Express supported us too. The support of the NEU has been appreciated also. The GFM have led two ENTHUSE Partnerships which has brought about further resourcing in addition to our engagement with Solent LEP who provided us with a Pathways grant. Phase 4 of the project will commence once more funding is sourced which will enable the introduction of high specification kit and technology.

The Gosport STEM Centre:

  1. Provides resourcing to enable a multi-purpose, cross phase learning space. We provide opportunities for ‘hands-on’ construction and other practical activity. In addition, there is the capacity for presentation and showcase of design products as well as lecture facilities.

  2. Engages the local community about the importance of sharing STEM learning with children from as young as possible. The centre is accessed by GFM pupils and our local community.

  3. Provides a dedicated ‘space’ to enable quality professional learning to support teachers and support staff in the development of their STEM knowledge, skills application and the craft associated with high quality teaching and learning.

  4. Attracts full engagement from initial training – this can be run in-house and with outside providers too.

  5. Creates a local platform for exciting young people with STEM related engineering apprenticeships.

  6. Challenges the gender gap that exists with the uptake of STEM subjects post 16.

  7. Builds local cultural capital by addressing high levels of unemployment – inspire early = success in staying in education/training people and developing practical skills.

The Gosport and Fareham Multi-Academy Trust (GFM) is a ‘Skilful Multi-Academy Trust’ which has embraced the iSTEM+ approach. Our trust educates over 4000 learners within the primary and secondary phase. We are aiming for all pupils and others in our community to be motivated by and understand the real-world applications of STEM subjects by experiencing hands-on activities that innovate, inspire and bring learning and career opportunities to life. Therefore, we are building a leading edge STEM curriculum. This is being combined with our Careers offer. The GFM is remodelling our traditional Careers model to motivate, inspire and capture the enthusiasm of all learners from Early Years to KS4. The emergence of the GFM also provides an exciting way forward to deliver a pan-Gosport STEM strategy with its potential to open-up effective employment pathways; enabling schools to recruit high quality staff that in turn can support and enable our learners to leave equipped to meet the challenges and needs of the 21stCentury workforce. We have been working closely with several colleagues, including STEM Ambassador Professor Adrian Oldknow from CCITE who is a strong advocate for local STEM innovation hubs/centres. The published researcher Professor Bill Lucas, Royal Academy of Engineering and Initial Teacher Training centres recognise how valuable a localised STEM Centre is to the further development of our work. We are actively engaged with working with these colleagues. This has raised our profile and our approach is respected as evidenced in the published case studies of our work. Furthermore, we have just started working with an Enterprise Ambassador. There are sound links with industry leads who engage in teaching and learning enrichment activities.