West lothian primary school nets stem nation award

THE PRESTIGIOUS AWARD FOR SCIENCES, TECHNOLOGIES, ENGINEERING AND MATHEMATICS (STEM) EDUCATION CELEBRATES, PROMOTES AND BUILDS ON EFFECTIVE STEM PRACTICE ACROSS SCOTLAND. ROSS THOMSON 16:48,

21 May 2025 Education Scotland has announced that Polkemmet Primary School in West Lothian has achieved the STEM Nation Award. The prestigious award for sciences, technologies, engineering

and mathematics (STEM) education celebrates, promotes and builds on effective STEM practice across Scotland. Education Scotland’s STEM Nation Award is the cornerstone of the Scottish

Government’s STEM Education and Training Strategy for Scotland. The Government strategy sets out a vision for Scotland as a world-leading STEM nation with a highly-educated and skilled

population equipped with the STEM skills, knowledge and capability required to adapt and thrive in a rapidly-changing world. READ MORE: West Lothian councillor known for defending greenbelt

to lead planning committee STEM skills are crucial as Scotland seeks to transition to net-zero and as the demand for STEM skills grows to support our key economic sectors including: green

economy, energy, space, advanced manufacturing, engineering, life and chemical sciences, food and drink and creative and digital media. Linda Baxter, headteacher of Polkemmet Primary School,

said: “We are delighted to be awarded the STEM Nation Award and to be recognised nationally for this. Article continues below “I am so proud of all the staff, pupils and wider school

community who have worked on projects led by our cluster STEM Development post holder, Yvonne Cruickshank. “The increased variety in STEM learning is developing our learners’ understanding

of the world and ensuring that they have the necessary skills required to access apprenticeships, College, University and employment within the future workforce.” READ MORE: Pothole fixing

machine 'not worth it' for West Lothian due to problems with winter repairs In order to achieve the STEM Nation Award settings must gather and submit evidence demonstrating

leadership, family and community learning, employability and STEM partnership working, curriculum and learner pathways, and equity and equality in STEM. After achieving all five elements,

settings upload their STEM action plan for review by Education Scotland and a discussion is then held to explore this in more depth. Polkemmet Primary was praised for its cluster approach to

STEM planning, curriculum, assessment, and moderation. Polkemmet Primary uses STEM as a context for learning and this has been shown to have had an impact on learner engagement. Through

initiatives like their skills passport, they have developed a STEM pathway that is understood by learners and practitioners across the cluster so assessment and moderation can take place.

READ MORE: West Lothian locals in with chance of winning year’s supply of free beer thanks to supermarket giant Polkemmet Primary School invests time and resources to support teachers to

deliver STEM through a range of professional learning opportunities. As a result, the setting acknowledges the value STEM brings to the curriculum through an interdisciplinary approach to

learning. Validators highlighted that Polkemmet has a clear strategic vision for using STEM as a context for project-based learning. They have a strong understanding of the local community

which enables them to offer STEM opportunities that are relevant to learners and their families. Gillian Hamilton, Chief Executive of Education Scotland, said: “We are delighted that

Polkemmet Primary School has achieved the full STEM Nation Award. “STEM subjects give all young people important skills for their future lives and work; and the skills developed from doing

STEM subjects are used in many different jobs from cooking to commerce, finance to farming and much more. READ MORE: Free children’s gardening workshop at Dobbies’ Livingston store

“Polkemmet’s success brings the total number of educational settings in Scotland with the award to 51 with over 300 further settings signed up to the programme. “Polkemmet Primary has

demonstrated rich, engaging and varied STEM experiences for learners; and we hope that this success will encourage even more of Scotland’s schools and settings to apply for the STEM Nation

Award.” Article continues below DON'T MISS THE LATEST NEWS FROM THE WEST LOTHIAN COURIER. SIGN UP TO OUR FREE NEWSLETTER HERE.