Joint media release issued by the Wellcome Trust and the Department for Education and Skills
Issue date: 15 October 2003

Locations of groundbreaking Science Learning Centres announced

The Department for Education and Skills (DfES) and the Wellcome Trust today announced the six organisations appointed to run the first Science Learning Centres. This £51 million government-charity initiative will create a national network to deliver high-quality continuing professional development to science teachers and technicians.

The Science Learning Centres network will consist of up to nine regional centres which will open in October 2004 and one national centre, based in York, due to open in autumn 2005. All of the centres will offer teachers access to newly furbished labs, advanced ICT equipment and innovative courses covering education strategies, traditional science and the wider ethical issues of science in society, cutting-edge scientific research and developments across business and industry. As well as improving knowledge, the scheme aims to reinvigorate teaching skills, boosting science literacy and understanding of its impact on society among pupils.

Alan Johnson, Minister for Lifelong Learning, Further and Higher Education, said: "Science education in the UK ranks among the finest in the world, but the speed of scientific development means that if we are to retain this position, all science teachers need to be familiar with contemporary ways to inspire their students both as citizens and scientists of the future. Through our close partnership with the Wellcome Trust, we feel that the Science Learning Centres will provide a catalyst to bring together educators, scientists and industry to offer teachers innovative thinking and advanced resources - benefiting science education and society."

Dr Mark Walport, Director of the Wellcome Trust, said: "Today's young people are tomorrow's scientists. We run the risk of the UK's scientific talent drying up unless we inspire them now and give them the confidence to understand, debate and question issues that may emerge in the future.

"Schools have an essential contribution to make. We are delighted that, in partnership with the DfES, we are creating a network that will provide teachers and other educators access to the resources and expertise to get to grips with the complexities of contemporary science."

The seven appointed centre leaders are:

• The National Science Learning Centre (based in York): The White Rose Consortium, comprising of the Universities of Leeds, Sheffield, York and Sheffield Hallam

• Science Learning Centre London: The Institute of Education in partnership with the Science Museum, Birkbeck University and University College London

• Science Learning Centre Eastern: The University of Hertfordshire in partnership with the ASE, Hertfordshire LEA, Bio-Rad Laboratories and SETPOINT Hertfordshire

• Science Learning Centre South East: The University of Southampton

• Science Learning Centre East Midlands: The University of Leicester in partnership with the University of Nottingham and Bishop Grosseteste College

• Science Learning Centre Yorkshire and Humberside: The White Rose Consortium, comprising of Sheffield Hallam University, University of Leeds, University of York and University of Sheffield

• Science Learning Centre North West: Manchester Metropolitan University in partnership with St Martin's College Lancaster and SETPOINT Greater Manchester

Today it was also announced that Sir Gareth Roberts has accepted the position of Chair of the Science Learning Centres Coordinators Group. The development of the Science Learning Centres marks a key government initiative created since the recommendations made by Sir Gareth Roberts in SET for Success, the review he published about science, engineering and technology skills in the UK. In this role Sir Gareth will work with the network of centres to ensure that they deliver high-quality continuing professional development to teachers across all areas of science.

Sir Gareth Roberts said: "I am delighted to have been asked to be the independent Chair of the Coordinating Group for the national network of Science Learning Centres. I welcome the Government's commitment to improving science teachers' access to high-quality and relevant continuing professional development. I believe that this initiative, taken together with the acceptance of other recommendations in my Review SET for Success will have a significant beneficial effect on their teaching and will also act to improve retention."

Following today's announcement, three more consortia will appointed by the end of the year to run centres in the West Midlands, North East and South West.

Media contacts:

Dr Shaun Griffin
Wellcome Trust
Tel: 020 7611 8612
E-mail: s.griffin@wellcome.ac.uk

Ms Lucy Canning
DfES
Tel: 020 7925 5361
E-mail: Lucy.CANNING@dfes.gsi.gov.uk

Notes to editors:

1. Timeline:

o 16 October 2003: Announcement of the six regional centres and one national centre leaders.

o 8 January 2004: Announcement of the three remaining regional centres.

o Spring 2004: Launch of full website, including booking for the first Science Learning Centres courses.

o October 2004: Opening of the regional Science Learning Centres.

o October 2005: Opening of the National Science Learning Centre.

2. The investment from DfES and Wellcome Trust will support the creation of the national network of Science Learning Centres and will contribute to the running costs of the centres on an annually decreasing basis. The regional centres will be funded for five years, the national centre will be funded for up to ten years, after which point all the centres will be expected to be self sufficient.

3. There is a single website serving the entire network at www.sciencelearningcentres.org.uk. From spring 2004 the site will provide access to: course information, a booking system, online CPD, access to CPD resources. The site will be managed at the National Centre. Currently the site provides more information on the Science Learning Centres and a registration facility for people wanting to be kept informed of developments.

4. The Wellcome Trust is providing £25 million to fund the National Science Learning Centre, and the DfES £26 million for the regional Science Learning Centres.

5. An image of the artist's impression of the National Science Learning Centre (based in York) - led by the White Rose Consortium comprising of the Universities of Leeds, Sheffield, York and Sheffield Hallam - is available to download. [ 72dpi, 200k], [ 180dpi, 532k], [ 300dpi, 1000k].
Caption: Artist's impression of the National Science Learning Centre.
Credit: Farrell and Clark (architects).

6. A generic image related to the Science Learning Centre network is available to download. [ 72dpi, 120k], [ 180dpi, 272k], [ 300dpi, 444k].
Caption: The network of Science Learning Centres will invigorate the teaching of science across the UK. Credit: Wellcome Trust

7. The Wellcome Trust is an independent, research-funding charity, established under the will of Sir Henry Wellcome in 1936. The Trust's mission is to foster and promote research with the aim of improving human and animal health. Website: www.wellcome.ac.uk