STEM workshop sparks new thinking

On the morning of Wednesday 10th December, Future First brought a focused, energetic STEM workshop to Charter Academy that felt less like a lecture and more like a conversation about futures. Year 9 pupils left with questions answered, myths dismantled, and a clearer sense of how GCSE choices can open—or close—doors to science, technology, engineering and maths careers.

Students were thrown into a debate about real-world problems that matter to their town — from local transport to environmental challenges. The point wasn’t to win an argument but to practise a way of thinking: define the problem, weigh evidence, propose a solution, and consider who benefits. As one group argued for a low-cost network to monitor coastal erosion, another how simple engineering changes could make a community garden. 

These activities did more than inform; they confirmed ambitions. Faith, a course leader for Future First, captured the tone: “We don’t just show routes into careers—we show young people that those routes are for them. When a pupil realises that a GCSE choice today can become a career tomorrow, everything changes.”

Sadiqa, a Year 9 pupil balancing her creative passion and academic studies, reflected “I’m choosing facilitating subjects for a career in the arts, but I’m keeping my options open—STEM skills help me think differently about creativity and work.”

Why this matters 

Access to STEM is an equity issue. When disadvantaged young people lack information, role models, and networks, talented young people can be steered away from high-growth careers before they even choose their GCSEs. Workshops like this one do more than teach facts; they build confidence, connect pupils to alumni, and translate aspirations into steps families can support.

Future First also develops alumni networks with previous scholars of Charter Academy through their Future First hub, creating ongoing connections between current pupils and those who have walked the same corridors and gone on to study or work in STEM fields. Families interested in strengthening those links or in mentoring can contact the school directly via email or call.

If anyone is interested in joining our next careers event in February with the NHS, please contact Mr Powell at the school in the normal way—this is a chance to meet professionals, ask practical questions, and see how local health careers intersect with science and technology.