Impact Report 2019 by SATRO

Impact Report 2019

Ignite the chain reaction... 1

Contents Chair’s Statement

Howard Railton 2

Managing Director’s Introduction

Anne Edward

What We Do and Why

Anne Edward

One Day Activities – Primary and Secondary

Giorgia Burgess

5-6

Cross School Challenges

Rebekah Fowler

TeenTech Surrey

Rebekah Fowler

Mobile Construction Classrooms

Rebecca Jones

Mentoring

Mo Forgan

STEM Research Work Placements

Paula Watts

Partnerships

Carl Webb 12

Volunteers and Supporters

Rebekah Fowler

Looking Forward

Anne Edward 14

Our Sponsors

Amanda Croft-Pearman

Turnover:

£621,746

93%

Spent on charitable activities

Chairman’s Statement

13 15

I am pleased to report that we are continuing to successfully deliver the outstanding events that have marked SATRO as a charity delivering real impact in the STEM education and careers sector. We have, however, seen real pressure from the budgets available to schools and the general challenges of fundraising in the current climate. SATRO continues to be very fortunate to have strong and long-lasting relationships with our funders and I would like to thank them for their continued and hugely valuable support. As we came to the end of the year, we made changes within the organisation to reflect these challenges. This has included improvement to our programmes and the recruitment of a STEM tutor to extend and develop our delivery to schools. At the same time, we also reviewed our own budget constraints by addressing our core staffing and overhead costs. We were therefore very pleased when Anne Edward stepped up to take the role of Managing Director to lead SATRO with a strong background in STEM, educational charities and management. Trustees have taken an active role in ensuring we remain both relevant and cost effective in the pursuit of our charitable objectives. The changes have had an immediate and positive impact on the performance of the charity and ensured the long-term continuance of the amazing work being done by our staff, associates and volunteers. I would like to thank every one of them for their hard work and effort. Without them, SATRO could not deliver any of the wonderful and exciting things that we do. Howard Railton, SATRO Chairman

Managing Director’s Introduction On behalf of SATRO, I am very pleased to be able to present our annual Impact Report for the academic year ending August 2019. SATRO’s vision is to inspire young people to improve their understanding of STEM subjects and Construction, allow them to gain experience of Employability Skills and to provide opportunities to challenge their perceptions of future careers. We achieve this by delivering hands-on workshops, events, challenges, work placements, mentoring and vocational qualifications. These are led by SATRO Tutors and Associates and involve volunteers from both industry and our local community. Our work this year stretched across Surrey, Berkshire, Oxfordshire, Sussex, Hampshire and into the west London Boroughs. We work with students from primary school age to young adults, across all ability ranges and provide specific programmes for those with a disadvantage in life. We offer our programmes to all students regardless of their circumstance, allowing each an equal opportunity to learn and be inspired. As such we work in mainstream and special needs schools, pupil referral units and the independent sector. With the latter we collaborate to ensure shared ‘give back’ to the wider work of SATRO in the state sector. As SATRO operates with no local or central government funding and are witness to the ongoing squeeze on school budgets, we increasingly value the generosity of our funders and corporate sponsors. We pride ourselves in working collaboratively with those that support us through our volunteering scheme, gifts-in-kind and their corporate social responsibility schemes. We believe that this report will demonstrate our reach, will give you an opportunity to read about the impact we make and allow you to appreciate the achievements of the students we have the pleasure to work with every day. Thank you to the students, teachers, parents, funders, volunteers, associates and our amazing staff team for making 2018-19 such a success. Anne Edward, SATRO Managing Director

SATRO Values: Inspire to Educate

Enthuse Young People Challenge and Innovate Partner for Sustainability

What We Do and Why? SATRO is an educational STEM charity which has been working with young people in Surrey and the South East since 1983. Our rationale continues to be improving student’s understanding of STEM subjects, employability skills and careers based on real-world experience and current research. Recommendations from the recently published paper - Disconnected: Career aspirations and jobs in the UK, January 2020 (www. educationandemployers.org.uk) show how important our work continues to be: Ages 7-11: “we need to ensure that children get to meet a range of people who can help bring learning to life, show them how the subjects they are studying are relevant to their futures. This is not about providing “careers advice” in primary schools but breaking down barriers, broadening horizons and raising aspirations.” Ages 12-18: “providing more and different types of career influence for young people, including visits from employer volunteers; shaping provision and inspiring young people such that they feel their learning is relevant; ensuring young people feel sufficient time is being spent helping them understand future options.” Celebrating SATRO success: our annual SATRO Awards allow us to recognise the students who were involved in our programmes and the volunteers, teachers and organisations that support our work. We were particularly pleased to welcome one of our patrons: The Lord Lieutenant of Surrey, Michael More-Molyneux, who said “You really do have some outstanding sponsors, mentors and supporters. They are doing such an important role in stimulating SATRO and the interest in STEM qualifications.”

£1.5 bn Cost of UK

STEM skills gap per year

However, the impact of what we do and why is best expressed through the following quotes from across the age and ability range of our students: “SATRO helped me find a Summer placement when I was in Year 12, so now I want to volunteer as they have really helped me kick-start my career! I am now currently on placement working at Pfizer.”

Extended Work Placement Student Alumni

“Before undertaking the SATRO course his belief in his own abilities was very low. He struggled with all classroom-based lessons. The SATRO lessons have given him a belief that he does have strengths and is able to achieve. He will be leaving us in July to attend Reading College where he is pursuing a Level 2 diploma in Plumbing.”

Headteacher of one of the Mobile Construction Classroom Schools

‘This activity has made me feel brave to try to be an engineer in a team or with a partner. I have more courage of having a go at being an engineer.’

Primary Pupil, Mega-Structures Challenge

5,616

Students inspired in 2018-19 4

One Day Activities – Primary SATRO offers one day activities to both primary and secondary schools where they can book STEM activities at a time convenient for them and that fits into their curriculum. The activities are tailored for each year group, supported by enthusiastic volunteers with professional backgrounds and coordinated by a SATRO Associate. Some of these include: •W orld of Energy – A fast-paced unique learning opportunity, that brings the reality of sustainable energy usage and educational goals together by using hands-on activities and learning how pupils can play a part in creating a sustainable future for all. (Years 5-6) • Enterprise and Business Game – An activity in which teams of pupils run a manufacturing business for the day, taking on the roles of CEO, Head of Marketing, Finance Manager, etc. All companies manufacture products, buying supplies and sell their products at a profit. (Years 5-6)

“It has made me think about my future and I might take up a career in engineering now.”

• F ascinating Fossils –This workshop includes looking at what fossils are and how they form. A practical session on how ammonites or graptolites have changed through time, demonstrating the basics of evolution and inheritance. (Years 4-6)

“It was brilliant, and I learnt amazing skills such as team work. I rate this activity five stars!”

• F un Maths – Pupils work in groups of three on a range of mathematical tasks that are graded to cater for all abilities. Pupils work at their own pace, rotating the individual tasks on a selfselection basis. (Years 3-6) •M ega-Structures Challenge – Pupils explore ways of making structures. The pupils will consider the purpose of the structure, look at design including building technique with recycled paper tubes and the forces at play in construction. They will then build, cost and present their solution. (Years 5-6) •P rogramming & Robotics – Pupils work in pairs to design, engineer and program robots using LEGO bricks, a computer, a motor and other special elements. Pupils learn to incorporate tilt and motion sensors into their designs. Pupils also test their designs and programming. (Years 3-6) •R ocks –This session looks at the formation of the Earth, the rocks and minerals within it and how to go about identifying them. (Years 4-6)

96.9 % of pupils

who took part in the World of Energy workshop in 2018/19 said that this activity made them realise how STEM is used in a lot of different ways.

Junior Mega-Structures Challenge

Junior Fun Maths

“The best part of today was finding out how much energy is used in everyday life and then playing games to prove it. I loved all the experiments we did. I would definitely do this again and I would love to do more learning with SATRO. I think everyone would love it. All schools would learn from doing SATRO experiments and would thoroughly enjoy it.”

World of Energy

1,794

Primary school pupils took part in our One Day Activities in 2018-19

One Day Activities – Secondary Our work with secondary schools includes one day activities as part of our wider offer. Of particular importance in all these activities is the support we give to schools in meeting their GATSBY Career Benchmarks. This we do by linking the curriculum to the topics within our workshops, the dissemination of careers information, and engaging volunteers from business to support interaction between employees and students. • Careers Speed Networking – An activity which involves local STEM business volunteers working with small teams of students to enable them to learn about the world of work. (Years 10-13) • Future Transport Challenge – This activity helps develop an appreciation of how STEM subjects can be used to improve the way we plan our urban environment. (Years 7-9) • Enterprise and Business Game – An activity in which teams of students run a manufacturing business for the day, taking on the roles of CEO, Head of Marketing, Finance Manager, etc. All companies manufacture products, buying supplies and sell their products at a profit. (Years 7-11) • Mega-Structures Challenge – Students explore ways of making structures. The students will consider the purpose of the structure, look at design including building technique with paper tubes and the forces at play in construction. They will then build, cost and present their solution. (Years 7-9)

80.9%

of students

who participated in our Business Games in 2018-19 said this activity helped them develop and understand employability skills. “I learnt how hard city planning is and different uses of technology. I was surprised about how much went into planning cities.”

Future Transport Challenge

“I learnt about the roles of a company and I’m surprised because I never really considered business as a career before, but this has opened my eyes.”

Senior Business Game

2,182

Secondary school students took part in our One Day Activities in 2018-19

Cross School Challenges SATRO’s Cross School Challenges are inter-school competitions which provide students in secondary schools the opportunity to use their STEM knowledge and to develop teambuilding, time management and problemsolving skills. The challenges allow students to better understand the varied career options within STEM and exposes them to the exciting career paths available. • Problem Solving Challenge – This annual event progresses through five regional Heats to a Grand Final and has been running for over 20 years. The teams (comprising of six students aged between 11 and 18) compete in a desktop engineering challenge to be complete within an hour and half. Students are judged on reaching defined set goals, be that height, length, speed or time of a devise – utilising their ingenuity, teamwork and problem solving skills. • Year 8 Construction Challenge – Is designed to aid development of key personal learning and thinking skills working in mixed teams to build a bridge which is stress tested. Presentations by industry volunteers raise awareness of career opportunities in engineering and construction. • Numeracy Days – These days are designed to support and enhance studies of National Curriculum through outdoor activities. Students undertake a wide range of learning activities, which equip them with improved numeracy, literacy and science skills as well as supporting them to develop their teamwork skills and confidence.

Problem Solving Challenge: Student Quotes

“I learnt that everyone needs to work on the project and play an important part for the project to fully function and work.” “How to properly use a pulley mechanism and how to collaborate and communicate with team mates.” ”How to work as a team and build a strong structure and work well under timed pressure.” “In a stressful environment, good communication skills and teamwork are important.”

Teacher Quote

“As ever, a very well organised event. Students enjoyed the activity and were fully engaged. Problem solving skills clearly evident.”

50 Volunteers

998 Students

51 Schools 7

TeenTech Surrey SATRO has been delivering TeenTech in Surrey for seven years on behalf of TeenTech CIC, founded by Maggie Philbin, OBE. The TeenTech experience is a highly interactive event designed to inspire young teenagers and their teachers about the contemporary world of Science, Engineering and Technology.

Student Quotes What did you most enjoy about TeenTech?

The TeenTech event gives Year 8 students and teachers the opportunity to try their hand at experiments, to handle leading edge technology and, most importantly to spend time with the Scientists, Engineers, and Technologists influencing their 21st century lives. It’s a powerful intervention just before students make GCSE subject choices, dispelling gender stereotypes and challenging perceptions of STEM careers as being difficult, geeky or boring.

“The chance to do hands on activities.” “Visiting all the stalls and seeing all the different jobs and companies that revolve around science, technology or engineering.”

Business Ambassadors’ Quotes What did you most enjoy about TeenTech? “Seeing the children engage and also learning about the opportunities out there.“

320 Students Attended

Companies Exhibited

Volunteer Business Ambassadors 8

“The experiences, I think I would have found this useful when I was younger.“ “Visiting the range of exhibiting companies with students.”

Mobile Construction Classrooms SATRO’s Mobile Construction Classroom programme is a unique opportunity to offer a vocational course in Construction to those selecting a career path within the construction industry, those who require a hands-on practical course to re-engage with the education system, those with specific needs who require different teaching styles, and those whose abilities are suited to vocational rather than academic study. The programme delivers a Level 1 BTEC qualification in Construction. A stepping stone to a vocational college course, an apprenticeship or further study. SATRO’s team of skilled, experienced tutors deliver education, expert training and guidance in a diverse range of Construction skills to students in Years 9-12 in mainstream schools, colleges, SEN (Special Educational Needs), Short Stay Schools and Pupil Referral Units via our fleet of Mobile Classrooms from Abingdon in Oxfordshire to East Surrey.

“This programme really does increase future employment opportunities – the students suddenly find something in school which they can really engage with and be successful at. It definitely gives our students a real advantage. We want to provide our students with as many experiences as possible and this provides a fantastic opportunity to learn life skills that will last them a lifetime and that we could simply could not otherwise provide!”

Teacher Quote

“It’s the only subject I feel really confident in. I like that we are not constantly forced to sit at a desk!”

Student Quote

213

Young people participated in our unique programme throughout Academic Year 2018-19

2,738 Teaching hours were delivered in 2018-2019

Mentoring Our mentoring programme managers work with corporate sponsors and schools to help students for whom there is often no other provision. Volunteers are recruited from the business community to mentor students who need an impartial “critical friend” to listen to them and help them grow in confidence and realise their full potential. In 2018-2019 we recruited, trained, and supported 98 mentors who we matched with students from years 10 and 11 over ten schools throughout Surrey. We also ran programmes funded by the Higher Education Outreach Network and the Careers and Enterprise Company. Organisations who provide mentors find that it is a rewarding and effective way to support staff development.

87%

of mentees felt that their mentor had helped them understand and develop the skills they would need to use when they left school

92%

92% said that they would recommend having a mentor to other students

98 Students mentored

1700

c 10

Hours of mentoring

“The best thing about having a mentor is that it has helped me to accept more difficult things in my life and feel more confident about my future.”

Student Quote

“We have been partnering with SATRO for several years to deliver a really successful mentoring programme at Therfield School, Leatherhead. Our employees find it such a rewarding and insightful opportunity to support the students on a one-to-one basis throughout the academic year, whilst also supporting their own coaching skills. SATRO is a fantastic organisation to partner with to support our educational giving programme and the training and support our mentors receive is first class.”

Susan Sanderson, UNUM

“I joined SATRO thinking that it would be like Good Will Hunting, I thought there would be this Math’s genius who needed help setting their talent free but she just needed to know that she was worthy of being listened to. So if you’re thinking of volunteering…go do it, it might just change lives.”

Mentor Quote

STEM Research Work Placements SATRO organise research placements for students aged 16+ to undertake a genuine STEM based research project, working within an employer or academic research environment. The placements in 2019 took place for four weeks during the Summer, enabling students to work alongside qualified professionals and experts. The success of this programme and high quality of resultant projects, serves to inspire and support students to continue with their academic achievements and career aspirations. This year’s Research Placement Programme was particularly successful with 39 gifted and innovative students applying for the placements (41% female). Our placement providers selected many ‘active’ projects including:- environmental/highways engineering, engineering bias for the Oil and Gas industries, Cardiovascular Medicine / Pathology, Geographic Information Systems, Flexible and printed electronics – nanotechnology and electronic circuits. Aimed at providing equal opportunities for all those that applied by encouraging an openness to social mobility and gender equality, the level of academic attainment for both genders was extremely high. Following interview and assessment 11 first year A level students were allocated a research project. Each had a real passion to own their projects and to develop their own case study reports. The programme focusses on the importance of improving each student’s capacity and work-efficiency, as well as providing motivation for further development. The programme specifically supports less advantaged students to thrive and grow through a selective process and the professional work environment. We work each year to improve the preparation we do with students and research placement providers to ‘level the playing field’ at interview for all, and we provide bursary support to those that need it.

“Over the last six or seven years I have hosted close to 30 summer placement students. Summer is usually not a busy period at University and it’s a great opportunity to try out incipient ideas which otherwise would be postponed indefinitely. Placements are the ideal self-contained vehicle for this type of trials, some of which are highly successful and go on to be published in academic journals. Some advance scheduling of holidays is required, but it’s very much worth the effort, considering that in the process, talented young researchers get to experience a real-world research environment. It is a very effective way to do exploratory research while training and enthusing the next generation. The students’ optimism, energy and enthusiasm is refreshing and contributes to the playful atmosphere that is characteristic to my team.”

Dr Radu Sporea, University of Surrey (Work Placement Provider)

“Overall, my work experience at WSP was insightful for me as I was able to learn about the professional life of engineering consultants. Moreover, I got to work on an interesting and meaningful research project which showed me how valuable STEM is to society and the world.”

STEM Work Placement Student 2019

WORK PLACEMENTS:

BURSARIES:

“The past four weeks have been incredibly useful, helping me make my choices for higher education, and boosting my confidence. I would 100% recommend a SATRO placement for anybody interested in a science related degree!”

– STEM Work Placement Student 2019

Partnerships SATRO is always keen to develop partnerships in all areas of our work. This includes working with our associates, our corporate sponsors and regional organisations to ensure that our reach and impact continues to make a difference. The four partnerships below outline specific examples across our STEM, Construction and Cross School Challenges. • The Erasmus+ Programme - SATRO are proud to be involved in this EU programme which gives UK organisations the opportunity to collaborate with international partners to drive innovation, share best practice and offer new opportunities to young people. Colourful World is a project to design, develop and launch an online game to teach primary school children about environmental sustainability. The game will be pilot tested in five events across four countries. The project began in September 2018 led by the University of West London and involves partners in Portugal, Poland and Greece. SATRO brings experience of the UK curriculum, working in a range of primary schools across our region and knowledge of environmental sustainability from our current programmes. • Shanly Foundation - We were proud to support the 50th Anniversary celebrations of one of our key funders the Shanly Foundation in September. They have very generously supported our Mobile Construction Classroom for many years in Berkshire. We were able to showcase this work as part of their exhibition in Reading University both in video and displays. The impact on our students is of particular interest to the Foundation in consideration of their founder’s own start in the construction industry. • Heathrow World of Work Programme - SATRO were involved this year as a partner supporting the development of a skills strategy in particular a pilot programme focussing on construction and how young people can feed into the workforce of the future. This work was informed by our successful Mobile Construction Programme that has been running for over 15 years. We are now supporting new Mobile classrooms in schools in the Heathrow feeder area. • Problem Solving Challenge in Uganda - In July 2019 the successful Problem Solving Challenge competition run by SATRO in the UK was trialled in Uganda in Seeta High School on the outskirts of Kampala. The event was run by Paul Endersby (a teacher whose school is involved with SATRO) in conjunction with Makerere University BioMed Engineering department. Various graduates and researchers assisted with judging and the department lead Dr Robert Ssekitoleko gave a presentation on STEM careers and the potential for teams of problem solvers to make a difference in Uganda.

Volunteers & Supporters SATRO’s ability to inspire and enthuse young people about the world of work through its programmes is enhanced by the dedication and commitment of our volunteers. In the academic year 2018-2019, 354 volunteers from a wide variety of industries, backgrounds, and sectors, participated in delivering and supporting SATRO programmes. This equates to 3334 hours donated! Some volunteers come to us as individuals, with fantastic expertise and personal knowledge, who want the opportunity to give something back to society. Others wish to inspire young people by sharing their industry and work-related expertise, opening minds to a world of possibilities and career paths Volunteers often come from companies, both local and national, who volunteer via their Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) programmes. Companies become involved for many reasons including to support career training, professional memberships and outreach in the community. The organisations develop strong and long-lasting relationships with schools and their students.

“I’ve been volunteering with SATRO for about 10 years. The reason I volunteer is that I wanted to give something back to the community – and working through SATRO is a great way of giving that time. I also have a keen interest in STEM related topics – my background is in Mathematics and IT… and again, SATRO ticks the boxes in terms of supporting and encouraging STEM interest in the student population.”

Shash Patel, Air Products

The students and schools we work with benefit from the experience and enthusiasm that our volunteers bring to all our activities. Whilst there may be a limit to how much you can teach in a session, there is no limit to how much you can inspire! With a STEM skills shortage in the UK and excellent career pathways from vocational trades to apprenticeships, and through higher education studies, there is a real opportunity to make a difference to the future of our STEM industries. SATRO provides the training, support and development of volunteers to ensure the highest standards.

1700 HOURS: Mentoring

231

HOURS: TeenTech Surrey

3334

1169 HOURS: One Day Activities

Hours donated by volunteers

HOURS: Year 8 Construction Challenge

171

This equates to £27,372 based on the National Living Wage 2019.

HOURS: Problem Solving Challenge 13

Looking forward As we reflect on our achievements in the last academic year it naturally raises the question of the future. With recent changes to the team including my own appointment as Managing Director in September and a new Fundraising Manager, Amanda Croft-Pearman, and the imminent announcement of new trustees joining the board we are looking forward positively to 2020. Developing on the success of our construction tutors we welcome our new STEM tutor, Carl Webb, to the team to provide flexibility and in-house expertise. Carl has a degree in Construction and worked in industry before becoming a Technology teacher for the last 14 years. This recognises our ongoing need to focus on the continual improvement of our STEM programmes and brings flexibility to our delivery in this area. In September we started our second Erasmus+ project: Cyber Adventure. A project aimed at creating an educational tool to support teachers with the online safety education of primary school children. The project is led by Aston University and involves partners from Spain, Lithuania and Portugal. We are also working with our current STEM Associates to offer new programmes. This includes programmes for both Post 16 and Primary school students. Whilst we are looking at expanding our impact on the careers programmes in Secondary schools by offering a ‘Challenging Perceptions’ stand to school careers fairs using our extensive network to provide a greater understanding of the vast array of training, study and work opportunities in STEM. We continue to work closely with corporate partners to expand our impact. In the autumn we announced a joint venture initiative with COINS and Beard Construction to support the delivery of our Mobile Construction Classroom. Indeed, our Mobile Construction delivery continues to be particularly successful with both schools and funders. Our team of six tutors provide a unique programme which has immediate impact. We have recently taken delivery of a new van, funded by the Thames Valley LEP, and are currently seeking both new schools, corporate partners and potentially a new tutor if demand exceeds current capacity. We are starting to implement some of the key values of the UN Sustainability Goals across our programmes. This is best reflected in our new primary cross-school challenge – Energy Monitoring. This brings together corporate partners (Powercor, Signify and TR Control Solutions) to offer state school students the opportunity to monitor in real-time their electrical energy use in school with the challenge to reduce their carbon footprint. This new academic year has started with some exciting initiatives which will no doubt make 2019-20 an even more successful year for SATRO. Anne Edward, SATRO Managing Director

Sponsors SATRO benefits from the generous support of our individual donors, charitable trusts and companies. With no government funding our work simply would not be possible without them. • Alliots • Armourers & Braziers • Ashworth Trust • Berkshire Community Foundation • Blue Spark Foundation • Clothworkers Foundation • Coast to Capital • Cold Fuzion • Dancer Fund • Electronic Arts Youth Fund • Frazer Nash • Guildford Borough Council • Guildford Poyle • Heathrow Community Trust • Henry Smith • HEON • IoD Surrey • Just Retirement • Openwork Foundation • People’s Postcode Lottery • Persula Foundation • Points Align • Rees Jeffreys Road Fund • Reigate & Banstead Council • Sanofi • SC Johnson • Siemens Healthineers • Slough Urban Renewal • St Faith’s Trust • SThree Foundation • St James’s Place Charitable Foundation • Tampax Fund • Tandridge Borough Council • Tesco Groundwork • The Joanies Trust • University of Surrey • Walton Charity • Wills Tower Watson • Youth Opportunities Fund Heathrow Airport • YUnique Marketing

(Thank you for choosing SATRO as your Charity of the Year in 2019.)

The Coleman Trust CP Charitable Trust

Working across the South East, inspiring and engaging young people in Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM), both in terms of subject choices and the career paths they lead onto.

LONDON

Abingdon

Maidenhead

Basingstoke

Guildford Hindhead

For further information contact: SATRO, Unit 23, Surrey Technology Centre, 40 Occam Road, Surrey Research Park, Guildford, Surrey GU2 7YG Registered Charity No. 1040572

Uxbridge

Leatherhead Reigate

Cranleigh

T: 01483 688 070 E: contactus@satro.org.uk W: www.satro.org.uk Designed by FdK Design Consultants: www.fdk.co.uk