Head's Blog: Enthusiasm for STEM at RHB

Just below the Lampedusa tower in Agrigento Cathedral I came across this, rather gruesome, sculpture of John the Baptist’s head, prepared on a plate for Salome’s pleasure.

This image was vividly brought to mind on Open Morning when I visited the Biology department and saw the delight with which our young scientists were enjoying dissecting pig’s hearts.

There is something about human nature that makes us want to get beneath the surface of living things and see how they work. I would not like to speculate too closely on how our Siciilian sculptor learned so much about decapitated human heads but it is great to see our students taking opportunities to understand anatomy in classes and in the ever fully-subscribed dissection club.

This week our Sixth Form IB students were challenged to develop their scientific skills even further through the Collaborative Science Project, an inter-disciplinary activity focusing on the implications of science through practice-based learning, teamwork and cooperation. The teams are drawn from all Group 4 subjects (Biology, Chemistry, Physics, DT, PE and Computer Science) and developed their own research titles around the theme of ‘Sustainability of the Olympics.’

The curiosity and ingenuity of the groups was impressive, with students choosing to investigate sustainable clothing by designing and making ponchos out of crisp packets (with buttons from plastic milk bottles!), the energy efficiency of making Olympic chocolate muffins (they were delicious!) and designing furniture prototypes using recycled materials. Year 10 and 11 were most impressed by these projects when invited to attend a ‘Science Fair’ on Wednesday afternoon. 

This inspiring project is just a snapshot of the positive female STEM activity at RHB, which, sadly, is not mirrored across the education sector. The vast majority of STEM university places (69%) are still taken up by men. In a recent Institute of Engineering and Technology survey only 8% of respondents could name any significant female contributors to STEM.

However, in their 2024 whitepaper, Understanding the Gender Imbalance in STEM, STEM Women find some reasons to be cheerful. 80% of respondents reported being encouraged to pursue studies and careers in STEM, with the highest levels of support coming from those who attended single-sex schools. Furthermore, contrary to the stereotype that women lack confidence in their professional abilities, the survey found high levels of confidence and optimism among female STEM students and graduates.

The value of a single-sex environment in building confidence and overcoming stereotypes is certainly supported by our experience where, in the Sixth Form, 82% of our girls choose to take at least one STEM-based and 40% study at least 2 STEM subjects. Also, our extensive RHB Active STEM offering encourages students’ intellectual curiosity in this area with activities such as KS3 Science club (led by our Science Prefects), Dissection Club, Med Soc, Gardening Club, Bee Club, Electronics Club and Crest Club (in which students can follow a similar path to the IB Collaborative project, and achieve a Bronze, Silver or Gold Crest Award).

We also provide role models for students with upcoming trips to see Dr Kate Lancaster (an experimental plasma physicist who at 14 wondered whether to be a dancer or a scientist) and Prof Sophie Scott (a neuroscientist from University College London, Welcome Trust Senior Fellow and Deputy Director of the Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience.) Further trips to the Oxford History of Science museum, visits from the Explorer Dome and an exciting Liquid Nitrogen Show are planned for Science week in March.

Finally I would like to draw attention to one of our inspiring alumna - Harriet Cornick an Orthotist and Prosthetist who has visited the school to share her cutting edge work in this area. Harriet is trekking to Machu Picchu, undertaking the expedition from 18 October 2024 with over 4000m altitudes and challenging terrain and ascents to raise money for LimbPower who offer relief to the physically disabled by aiding rehabilitation and improving their quality of life.

As you can see STEM at RHB is an area where we add an amazing amount of value and confidence to our students. I am sure that many of our contemporary STEM-curious girls will soon be providing similar inspiration to for generations to come.