Education
We are a key provider and coordinator of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) education activities and support in Essex. These are for students at school and home, and are designed to both stimulate an interest in STEM and to open possible career paths.
» See upcoming CSES events for schools, children and families
Including our flagship annual TEXPO, projects and online competitions throughout the year.
Out-of-school clubs, masterclasses and projects to enhance learning with fun, practical activities.
Financial and in-kind support for your STEM Club, project or activity at school.
Interactive conferences attended by students, industry partners and the public sector.
A FREE annual CSES/ARU lecture from a high-profile speaker, open to all schools.
Careers guidance, STE(A)M activities, ideas and other material for all ages both in school and at home.
Take inspiration from what others have been getting up to.
Talk to us about dedicated support, resources, projects and competitions for your school.
CSES bursary kits granted to Chelmsford County High School for Girls
As part of the ongoing commitment to education, support and inspiration Chelmsford Science and Engineering Society (CSES) has been working with Chelmsford County High School (CCHS) for girls.
CSES member Ed Bye has been working with a group of sixteen keen and enthusiastic year 10 (14/15 years of age) students at Chelmsford County High School.
One lunchtime a week during the autumn term, the students have been exploring control electronic engineering and stored program systems based on the Micro:bit microcontroller.
In the world, there are by far many more devices (microcontrollers) than computers. With increasing electronics finding its way into all sorts of items, this number will grow. As an example, a typical budget low-end car has about 25 microcontrollers, a high-end luxury car can have over 50 microcontrollers.
The current generation of students will be using microcontrollers, developing their own equipment and projects to solve engineering problems. Thus, giving young students some insight and experience with microcontrollers puts them at an advantage and an early start.
To enable some understanding and to provide some practice with this technology, Ed designed a kit of parts to work specifically with the Micro:bit. There is a variety of about 25 sensors and actuators, shown below. These could be used in numerous projects in conjunction with a Micro:bit.
Read more: CSES continues to support schools with technology and engineering
For Primary and Secondary Students
Taking a camera or your phone and shooting a picture is an easy. But how about, when composing your image, you think about how your picture might be used to discover some aspect of science and engineering?
From your camera or mobile phone to a flower or a rainbow, from a bubble to radio mast, from smoke to light, from microscopy to astronomy, everywhere in our modern world we are facing science and engineering wonders that make our lives easier and more fun. This is the fifth year of our competition and we have had some outstanding winners.
Science meets Art – Our annual photographic competition aims at creating an opportunity for you to creatively express what you observe within science, in pictures, and we hope that this will get you to explore the visual aspects of STEAM through the art and science of photography and capture images that demonstrate and communicate STEAM concepts and phenomena.
This year 2024,
the focus of the competition is on:
"Time"
(Including everything from clocks, hourglasses, sundials to biological clocks, sunsets, stars, ancient monuments and more!)
We want you to take photographs (up to 3 entries per person) that express what Time means to you or how it impacts health or our environment, including the negative or positive roles of technology. Each photograph must be accompanied with a short plain language explanation (not more than 50 words) of the thoughts behind your photograph.
TEXPO Schools' Competition: Fri 21 June 2024, Anglia Ruskin University
We are pleased to confirm the date for the 2024 CSES Schools' Technology Exhibition (TEXPO).
The dates will be as follows:
- The TEXPO will take place on Friday 21 June 2024.
- The awards evening will take place on one evening of Thursday 11 July 2024.
Find out more about the competition here.
We are open for early-bird entries – click here to enter the TEXPO now – and will send further details in the coming weeks.
In the meantime, remember to enter this year's Big Bang competition!
From passion to project
The Big Bang Competition is open for entries! Inspire students to work together, problem solve and get creative with science, engineering and technology. New for this year, celebrate your students' inner innovator with brand-new technology prizes, supported by Siemens.
Entries will close on 27 March at 5pm so you've got plenty of time to start a project!
Find out more about The Competition and how to enter online.
Read about Felsted's collaboration with Remap following the CSES TEXPO 2023. Words and pictures by Mrs C Bury, kindly reproduced with permission from the Felsted School website.
In a bid to foster connections to the wider world and make a positive impact on the community, Felsted School proudly announces its collaboration with Remap, a renowned charity dedicated to creating bespoke devices that enhance the lives of individuals with disabilities. At the heart of Felsted School's ethos is the commitment to extending its influence beyond the classroom, and the partnership with Remap aligns perfectly with this mission.
Remap, known for its work in utilising design and technology to craft custom devices not commercially available, has found an eager ally in Felsted School's STEM team. Our students are enthusiastically taking on the challenge of developing two memory light-up devices designed to support individuals living with dementia. This innovative initiative aims to demonstrate how science, design, and technology skills acquired in the classroom can be harnessed for tangible, real-world impact.
FREE club starting 27 January 2024 for Year 10 students – apply now
We are excited to announce a fantastic opportunity that is open for all Year 10 students who are studying STEM subjects.
Under the umbrella of the National Saturday Clubs (NSC), CSES and ARU are running another free Science and Engineering Saturday Club. The club will provide an opportunity for Year 10 students to experience a range of different Science and Engineering topics using the state-of-the-art Super Lab and workshop facilities at ARU's Chelmsford Campus. Each session will explore the science and engineering behind real life activities and problems that can affect our daily lives. In addition to laboratory and workshop sessions there are also visits to science and technology-related organisations. The NSC also organise for us a masterclass with leading industry professionals and a Summer Show at Somerset House in June.
Starting on 27 January 2024, the club will run for 15 weeks. The sessions will take place from 10.00 am – 12.30 pm on Saturday mornings during term time.
The programme is delivered totally free of charge for up to 30 students, so places are limited and we have only a few weeks to recruit. Please see the attached letters to parents and teachers for more information.
- CSES co-hosts STEM Conference with Drapers' Academy and Chelmsford Cathedral
- STEM Conference for Sixth Form Students
- Opportunity for students to hear a FREE talk by former Head of Technology at British Cycling
- Step into STEM at Harwich
- Congratulations to our Giving Voice winners
- 2023 TEXPO results and National Saturday Club awards
- Photographic Competition 2023 winners announced
- Photographic Competition 2023 – Deadline Extended!
- TEXPO 2023 – enter now
- Now open: Big Bang and TEXPO 2023