Partnerships

Business Class is a proven framework for creating effective and mutually beneficial school-business partnerships 

Business Class is a carefully developed framework to support the development of partnerships between schools and businesses. It is rooted in the needs of the school and underpinned by strategic support and collaborative action.

School and local business partners are grouped together, enabling them to meet on a termly basis to share best practice, identify common challenges and accelerate improvement. 

bp is the National Champion for STEM for the Business Class programme.

Find out more about Business Class from BITC 

CREST Awards, run by the British Science Association

CREST Awards are a nationally recognised accreditation scheme for project work in Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) for students aged 11-19 years.

Finalists and semi-finalists in bp's Ultimate STEM Challenge competition each receive a CREST Award.

Why register for CREST Awards?

• It's a way of getting nationally recognised accreditation for students' project work
• It provides evidence of problem-solving skills and challenges students to extend their work independently
• UCAS endorses the inclusion of CREST Awards achievements in personal statements. (UCAS website)
• It motivates students of all ages and abilities.

Contact the CREST Education team to find out more about the CREST Awards and how bpES teaching material could be developed into a CREST Awards project. Or go to the CREST Awards website.

bp supports three schemes run by EDT

Go4SET
Links teams of six 12 to 14 year-old students with companies to work on environmentally themed Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics projects.

Email Go4SET or phone 01707 393 323 for more information.

Engineering Education Scheme (EES) England and Scotland

Teams of four 16 to 17 year-old students work with local companies and universities on real scientific, engineering and technical problems (England and Scotland).
Email EESE or phone 01707 393 323 for further information.

Enterprising Science was a five-year partnership between bp, the Science Museum, University College London and King’s College London. This research and development project used the concept of science capital (science-related qualifications, interest, literacy and social contacts) to understand how young people from all backgrounds engage with science, and how their engagement might be supported.

 You can find full details of the project and all the reports and findings at www.bp.com/sciencecapital 

The Science Capital Teaching Approach

The Science Capital Teaching Approach is designed to support teachers in helping students find more meaning and relevance in science and, as a result, engage more with the subject.

The ideas for the approach were co-developed and trialled over four years between Enterprising Science researchers and 43 secondary science teachers in England. 

The Science Capital Teaching Approach teacher’s pack offers a comprehensive introduction to the approach, including exercises and photocopiable resources. 

Governors for Schools (formerly SGOSS) exists to improve educational standards by improving school governance 

Any school can visit their website, create a profile, add their governor vacancies and list any specific requirements. Governors for Schools will then endeavour to match the school with suitable volunteers from its database - including some from bp. All their services are free to schools.

bp has worked with Governors for Schools for many years, helping to develop systems and processes for matching volunteers to governor opportunities in schools. 

Find out more about Governors for Schools

We’re funding the Coding Zone as part of I’m a Scientist, Stay at home, an online activity that helps students with STEM learning, even when schools are closed.

Students ask questions about anything they like. Coding professionals, scientists, and technicians give the best answers they can think of and students vote for their favourite scientist each week.

It all happens online. It’s safe and secure. It’s free for most schools.

The activity runs to 20 July. Sign up now!

https://imascientist.org.uk/stayathome/teachers/bp/

Supported by bp, Project ENTHUSE increases access to professional development training

Project ENTHUSE is a unique partnership of government, charities and employers that have come together to ensure a world-leading STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) education for all young people across the UK, regardless of background.

Project ENTHUSE funding enables teachers and others involved in STEM education subjects, from primary through to post-16, to access high quality, subject specific professional development throughout their careers.

Find out more about Project ENTHUSE

You can also read our research report for the latest guidance on how businesses and other organisations can provide support and inspiration for STEM in schools. 

Download the report

Learning is central to the Science Museum’s mission, and its unparalleled collection of objects is just the start. With five museums located across the UK the Science Museum Group have a lot to offer.  

To support their physical locations their site brings together resources from their Museums, including activities, games and videos. Discover activities to support a range of curriculum topics for use in the classroom, in museum galleries, at home and beyond.

During this unprecedented period of time they would like to share a range of podcasts, videos, blogs, free broadcasts of performances and learning experiences for you and the rest of the family.

These resources are free to downloadable from their website

Skills Builder Partnership builds essential skills with their Skills Builder Framework. 

They work to ensure that one day, everyone will have the essential skills, experiences and aspirations to succeed. The Skills Builder Framework, which underpins our programme, takes each of the eight skills and breaks them down into teachable and learnable nuggets - from the age of three through to adulthood.

They want to support all schools and families at schools and at home, including the transition to remote and home learning. They have made their resources available online to support teachers, parents and carers to continue building their children's essential skills.

Access their Home Learning resources here.

Start is a free and comprehensive digital platform, offering schools and colleges a single starting point to help simplify and improve careers guidance in schools.

Start have created this brand new set of careers Home Learning Activities for students. As well as continuing with their academic studies at home, students will really benefit from having a future-focus and being inspired about their career and study options at this time of disruption and uncertainty.

Register to become a Start school, and deliver effective and consistent careers education, from Year 7 to Year 13.

Create a profile now

STEM Learning is the leading provider of STEM education support in the UK

STEM Learning (including the National STEM Learning Centre and Network of science learning partnerships) provides world-class professional development activities and quality-assured teaching resources to support the teaching of STEM.

The website www.stem.org.uk houses the largest collection of resources and CPD activities in the UK, and is the home of the national STEM Ambassadors and STEM Clubs programmes. 

Visit the website to access free resources and CPD activities.

Empowering all to succeed in the tech industry!  

Tech We Can provides free lesson packs for young people aged 9-14. The lessons are designed to be taught in the classroom or at home, based on your access to technology – from ones that need only internet access to ones that need the latest iPad or tablet. The lessons are designed to be gender neutral with most having an underlying theme focusing of female role models within technology, which is very important to Tech We Can. They want to inspire more young people, particularly girls, to see the possibility that a job in technology can bring.

Check out Tech We Can here.

Our bpES resources are now all ASE green tick approved!

The Association for Science Education describes the resources as “high quality opportunities to develop critical learning skills, and practise highly desirable career-based skills.” Help your pupils get started today by browsing “the straightforward and extremely flexible” website.