24 pupils from 12 Star Academies schools enjoyed the opportunity to be part of three-day residential summer schools at St Paul’s School, London.

Included in The Schools Index as one of the world’s 150 best private schools, St Paul’s School welcomed pupils from across the Star family to its award-winning residential STEM Summer Schools as part of a new partnership with Star Academies. Designed to support pupils with interest and aptitude in STEM subjects, the courses involved a series of workshops and lectures led by teachers, academics and industry experts to inspire, educate and elevate tomorrow’s technological trailblazers.

The Magic of Materials Summer School, the first of three exciting opportunities, saw pupils from Tong Leadership Academy, Laisterdyke Leadership Academy, Eden Boys’ Leadership Academy, Bradford and Oulder Hill Leadership Academy delve into the world of Materials Science and Engineering. Organised and run in partnership between St Paul’s School, Discover Materials and IOM3 (the Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining), the course brought to life the complex and diverse subject of materials science.

Pupils from Highfield Leadership Academy, Eden Girls’ Leadership Academy, Manchester, Tauheedul Islam Boys’ High School and Bay Leadership Academy discovered the power of particles in a course organised and run in partnership between St Paul’s School and the Particle Physics Research Centre at Queen Mary University of London. Shining a light on the intricate subject of particle physics, the Particle Physics Summer School demonstrated the importance of the field and the myriad of potential career opportunities available.

The third summer school, enjoyed by pupils from Eden Boys’ Leadership Academy, Birmingham, Eden Girls’ School, Coventry, Small Heath Leadership Academy and Eden Girls’ Leadership Academy, Birmingham, delivered an out-of-this-world learning opportunity with an introduction to Space Science and Engineering. Organised and run in partnership between St Paul’s School and University College London’s Mullard Space Science Laboratory, Space School took pupils on a galactic learning expedition that examined the universe’s workings and the fundamental processes governing space.

Reflecting on the great opportunities available for pupils, Jed Cinnamon, Head of Partnerships and Impact at Star Academies, said: “We are delighted to be working with St Paul’s School to provide these unique opportunities to pupils across our trust. The summer schools offered a wonderful programme of STEM experiences as well as the opportunity to work with peers from schools across the country in a fantastic learning environment. We look forward to developing our partnership with St Paul’s to support more pupils extend their STEM knowledge and pursue rewarding study and career pathways in STEM subjects.”

Dr Ben Still, Head of STEM Partnerships at St Paul’s School, said: “Our summer schools are unique in what they offer, and they represent true partnerships between schools and experts in various fields. This year we were honoured to welcome pupils from Star Academies to be a part of this exceptional programme. The visiting pupils were completely immersed during the summer schools and impressed the experts delivering the courses. We are excited to continue working with Star Academies in offering these opportunities, and seek to expand our partnership to support talented students in accessing exciting academic opportunities.”

Reflecting on the experience, Yahya Bhana, a Year 11 pupil at Tauheedul Islam Boys’ High School (TIBHS), said: “I enjoyed the trip and it was a great opportunity to learn about complicated, up-to-date subjects and fields of study.”

Another TIBHS pupil, Easa Ally, added: “It was a wonderful experience to meet new people and engage in new subjects.”

In addition to the summer schools, the St Paul’s School and Star Academies partnership is developing plans to support more pupils to develop their STEM skills and knowledge, including through online mentoring from St Paul’s Sixth Form pupils.