SSERC is a registered charity established for the benefit of those working in Scottish Education, with a particular focus on STEM. All 32 Local Authorities in Scotland subscribe to SSERC which in turn offers our support to all public sector early years centres, and primary and secondary schools nationally; in addition, 14 FE colleges and 42 independent schools within Scotland are members of the organisation.
Our mission is to inspire, enthuse and support STEM educators for the benefit of all learners.
SSERC works with, and considers educators to be:
- early learning and childcare practitioners including childminders
- primary school teachers including support staff
- secondary school teachers including support staff
- current or aspiring managers and leaders in educational settings
- school/college technicians
- further education lecturers and technicians
- those involved in wider STEM education e.g. through the Young STEM Leader and STEM Ambassador programmes
- any other person who works will learners in wider, non-formal settings such as community learning and youth work.
The organisation provides, principally in support of STEM education in Scotland, a broad portfolio of services which can be broken down into three main strands:
- Provision of professional learning for STEM educators
- Health and safety advisory service
- A range of STEM engagement programmes and activities
More specifically,
- a range of professional learning programmes for managers, teachers and technicians
- guidance, advice and support on STEM experiments and practical work
- recommendations on resources and equipment, and design of learning/lab environments
- consultancy and technical information to support the delivery of STEM learning and teaching
- apparatus testing for safety, performance and conformance with standards
- radiation protection advisory services
- publications including three Bulletins across the academic year (early years, primary and secondary)
- specialist health and safety guidance in relation to the sciences and technology
In addition to the above, SSERC leads wider STEM engagement activities in both formal and non-formal educational settings:
- The Young STEM Leader Programme (YSLP)
- STEM Ambassadors in Scotland Programme
- ENTHUSE partnerships
- Education Industry Partnerships
- Nuffield Research Placements
- European Space Education Research Office (ESERO) Champion