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.
On Saturday 25 February, King Edward VI Grammar School (KEGS) Young Engineers team 'Illuminatus', all in year 8, embarked on a journey to the First Lego League (FLL) National Finals at the University of Western England in Bristol. It was a great experience and we all gained something from it.
Thank you to CSES for awarding us a STEM Club Bursary which helped us to continue with this competition and go to Bristol. Below, some of the team members have given their own accounts of the event and what they have learned from it.
Congratulations to team Illuminatus, who went on to win the Design Execution award at the 2017 Schools' Competition.
In LEGO club, we use LEGO to practise STEM skills. We have used LEGO to make boats that float, make bridges that hold at least 2 kg, create models to design specifications and learn basic coding. Our favourite challenge was to design and make a device to send a LEGO figure down a zip line. We also enjoyed building tall towers and figuring out ways to make them stable. We were happy to receive the bursary and hope to use it to get some technical LEGO and power functions so we can build moving models.
— Daniel, Christopher, Maya and Tom (10 years old)
CSES awarded a bursary of £100 to Frinton-on-Sea Primary School in January 2017, followed by the STEM Club Award at the 2017 Schools' Competition.
IET Faraday Challenge Day 2018 organised by CSES at Anglia Ruskin University
Following the success of last year's Faraday Challenge, we plan to organise another great IET Challenge Day at Anglia Ruskin University (ARU) in 2018.
We are offering schools the opportunity to register early for this exciting IET event in 2018.
We propose the following dates in 2018:
- Tuesday 9 January
- Wednesday 10 January
- Tuesday 23 January
- Wednesday 24 January
This is a fun learning experience for all.
Congratulations to everyone who won an award at the 2017 Schools' Competition, which took place on Wednesday 28 June 2017 at Anglia Ruskin University.
IET Faraday Challenge hosted by CSES and Anglia Ruskin University, Wed 18 Jan 2017
On Wednesday 18 January 2017, teams of six Year 8 students from Greensward Academy, Westcliff High School for Girls, Westcliff High School for Boys, Colchester Royal Grammar School and King Edward VI Grammar School took part in the Faraday Challenge run by IET (Institute of Engineering and Technology) and CSES at Anglia Ruskin University.
They were set the task of working together to design and build a product to solve problems. As the Challenge is a national competition, the exact nature of the task is a secret but involved coding a computer to respond to feedback from various sensors, and then presenting the final product, at the end of the day, to two judges from the IET.
- Press release: Local schools to take part in UK engineering challenge
- Now open: 2017 Schools' Competition and Big Bang Eastern
- My Smarter Essex follow-up questions
- IET says it's "time to involve the people"
- What is 'Cozfest' and where do I buy the t-shirt?
- Poll results from My Smarter Essex
- Photos from My Smarter Essex
- Thurstable School EPQ
- Lighting efficiency study
- Save the date for the 2017 Schools' Competition and Big Bang Eastern