Plymouth Science CIC

Q&A with Plymouth Science CIC

How would you describe the nature of the team in a single sentence?
Please describe as feels most comfortable to you.

For example, ‘a team from X working with collaborators from Y and Z’, ‘a collaboration between X, Y and Z’, etc.
Plymouth Science CIC is a collaboration of hard-working and passionate teachers and leaders committed to providing high quality science resources, teaching and training both inside and outside the classroom.

Please provide a brief statement what winning this Prize means for your team: (Please also provide a name we can attribute this quote to) It is hugely rewarding to know that our resources, expertise and passion are being utilised by so many schools to provide good quality education to children.
We love the fact that children enjoy learning about science in the holidays as well as at school. We would like to extend a huge thank you to the Royal Society of Chemistry for this wonderful award.

What would be your advice to educators who are working with colleagues going above and beyond, but are yet to nominate them for an RSC Education prize?
You should let others know what you are doing to make a difference, as this could inspire others to continue to share their good practice in science education.

How did you first become interested in chemistry or science?
Shoshahna Needham - I first became interested in science through my natural curiosity to better understand the world around me. I enjoy the hands-on approach of the science curriculum, where you are able to conduct experiments to prove or disprove your theory/predictions. The initial curiosity has since evolved into a lifelong love of science and a want to help educate others.

Simon Smith - An inspirational teacher at secondary school, who made me see beyond the obvious and ignited my curiosity in what can be achieved with an interest in the world around me.

Jodie Greaves - Chemistry Club at school.
Although I have always had a passion for science.

Bruce Robinson - Back in secondary school, when my chemistry teacher, John Kirkham, did those special chemistry demos (Dichromate Volcano, before it became a H&S nightmare) and Thermite)).
I was hooked on anything that exploded into a flash of colour and flame.

Richard Wotton - My love of science started when I began secondary school.
The science teacher made lessons fun and helped bring science to life. Also, having access to more practical activities to prove the theories made it more exciting.

Who or what inspires you?
Carla Bennett - Supporting other teachers who are struggling with the profession inspires me to think differently to try and make the job easier for teachers.

Ken Robinson is an absolute legend, and I pin most of my beliefs on his theories.

Jodie Greaves - Inspired every day by the team, by Carla's relentlessness in striving to improve science teaching for all.
By the upcoming teachers and their passion for science.

Bruce Robinson - Ken Robinson and Lord Baker.
Ken Robinson because he absolutely nailed the meaning of education and learning for me. To inspire young people and create a world of curiosity and wonder. Lord Baker for having the foresight to see that the UK needed to reinvent technical education for the 21st century. His concept of UTCs has opened the doors for so many young people to develop their technical skills and develop as young proactive learners.

What motivates you?
Carla Bennett - Seeing children's faces light up when they are participating in hands-on science.

Seeing other teachers find their passion for science and deliver this in the classroom.

Shoshahna Needham - What motivates me whilst teaching science is seeing my pupils begin to expand their understanding of the world around them and foster a love for critical thinking!
Seeing their excitement whilst conducting experiments or observing them understand complex concepts they may not have understood before is a highly motivating factor for me.

Jodie Greaves - I am motivated to keep improving primary science across as many schools as possible.

Bruce Robinson - The thrill of seeing children’s faces as they discover something new and create something using their new knowledge.
Primary school students are genuinely inspiring, they just can’t hide their surprise and wonder.

Richard Wotton - My main motivation is to give children an experience of science that I did not have at primary school.
To inspire them to become scientists of the future or educators of science.

What are the qualities that make your team special?
Carla Bennett - We are all passionate teachers who strive to do our best to make the best opportunities for all children, no matter their age, race, ability or social status. Our mission is to make learning unmissable and out of this world.

Simon Smith - Fundamentally, we are child-centred .
.. with inspirational leadership, we have created a unique environment for the children of our city which provides experiences, friendships and memories for life.

Richard Wotton - We give children the chance to do things that they may never get to experience otherwise.

Jodie Greaves - Our team is special because we all have the same goal and work incredibly hard to inspire children.

Bruce Robinson - We are a team, an energetic, inspiring merger of very different, talented people who love their science, enthuse at inspiring and helping others to be better learners and teachers, and above all, we love working with children, who just see the world in a different way sometimes that inspires us.

What advice would you give to a young person considering a career in chemistry?
Jodie Greaves - Everyone can have a job in science/chemistry, so keep working hard and don't let anyone say you can't.

Carla Bennett - You will be the scientists of the future, solving problems that don't even exist yet - how exciting is that!

Bruce Robinson - Enjoy the science and benefits your knowledge and understanding will bring to others.
Hang in there, there is so much potential in the world of chemistry, that it will make you dizzy if you think too hard. Visit a university chemistry Department (I love Bristol) as early in your learning journey as you can. The lecturers and post-grads will blow your mind with ideas and future prospects for chemistry in just about every aspect of the modern and future world.

Can you tell us about a scientific development on the horizon that you are excited about?
Carla Bennett - British Science Week 2024, where we are linking the theme time to the UN sustainability goals.

Jodie Greaves - Introducing our SEND Toolkit to support adaptive teaching in the classroom.

Joseph McCann - Our Virtual Reality workshops.

Richard Wotton - Our next science camp where we can take children to different places to excite and engage them.

Why is chemistry important?
Jodie Greaves - Chemistry is important because it is everywhere and we need it every day.

Joseph McCann - It is about understanding the world around us.

Bruce Robinson - It impacts almost every part of modern life and has the potential to create a better future in so many areas: energy, pharma, materials, environmental, human health and food provision, to name a few.

Richard Wotton - Chemistry is everywhere.
From technology, the environment and fuel technology to medicine.

What has been a highlight for you (either personally or in your career)?
Carl Bennett - Being awarded Primary Science Teaching Trust Primary Science Teacher of the Year Award in 2017.

Jodie Greaves and Carla Bennett - Being accepted to present at the ASE Conference.

Bruce Robinson - Building my own business, Wonder Workshops, that brought alternative, creative, practical science learning to numerous primary schools all over the south-west of England.

What has been a challenge for you (either personally or in your career)?
Carla Bennett - The pressures in school that are making teachers feel they are not good enough, we are working hard to keep teachers motivated so that they do not leave the profession.

Bruce Robinson - Finding the time to fit it all in and finding the finance to keep the idea of peripatetic inspiring, practical science alive.

How are the chemical sciences making the world a better place?
Shoshahna Needham - Chemical sciences innovate sustainable technologies, clean energy and medical breakthroughs. They address environmental challenges, create life-saving drugs and develop eco-friendly materials, making the world healthier, greener and more advanced.

Joseph McCann - Chemistry can help us to understand, monitor, protect and improve the environment around us.

Bruce Robinson - Where do we start?
Energy storage, pharma and materials sciences.

How can good science education support solving global challenges?
Carla Bennett - A good science education for children will focus on global challenges and sustainability, this supports children's ability to solve problems and come up with innovative ideas. Children will be aware of challenges around the world and future problems/solutions surrounding our planet.

Bruce Robinson - The world is going to need science-savvy, creative lifelong learners to progress and develop, especially with a background of global warming and scarce resources.

Why do you think teamwork is important in science?
Carla Bennett - Teamwork is so important because you utilise each other's strengths to be the best team possible. You help motivate each other to achieve goals that seem unachievable.

Joseph McCann - It enables you to learn from other people's experiences.

For a bit of fun.
....What is your favourite element?Carla Bennett - Titanium as it was first discovered in Cornwall.

Richard Wotton - Boo!
The element of surprise.

Bruce Robinson - Hydrogen, the most abundant element in the universe, and, under the right conditions, it can blaze into a star or supernova and create all the other elements of the universe.
Like the endless possibilities of children’s curiosity, it just needs the right conditions to become awesome.

Carbon is the chemical backbone of life on earth.
Carbon compounds regulate the earth's temperature, make up the food that sustains us and provide energy that fuels the global economy. It has a split personality! Extremely soft or the hardest thing on earth.