2025 Free

STEM Learning Impact Report 2025

STEM Learning supports teachers and young people to improve achievement, inspire a love of STEM and grow the UK talent pipeline. In 2024-25, CPD was delivered to 20,200 teachers improving learning for 3.4 million young people; 13,800 STEM Ambassadors gave 329,000 volunteering hours representing 3,300 employers; 288 research placements were delivered; 14,400+ young people engaged in student-facing activities; and 178,000 students participated in Mars Day. 95% of teachers showed increased subject knowledge and pedagogical understanding after CPD. A STEM Impact Fund launches January 2026.

Report snapshot
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About

Continuous professional development (CPD) for teachers (physics, computing, primary science, non-specialists); STEM Ambassadors programme; Destination STEM (research placements, STEM Camps, CanSat, Mars Day, Protecting Our Planet Day, STEM Clubs); Explorify (free primary science digital resource); I Belong (computing inclusion for girls); NCCE (National Centre for Computing Education); SKPT (Subject Knowledge for Physics Teaching); AI Sprints and conferences; STEM Impact Fund (launching Jan 2026) Custom geography from upload: UK-wide (HQ York)

Key Metrics

Key Metric 1 CPD delivered to 20,200 teachers improving learning for 3.4 million young people; 95% of teachers showed increased subject knowledge and pedagogical understanding
Key Metric 2 13,800 STEM Ambassadors gave 329,000 volunteering hours (55% under 35, 48% women, 20% from ethnic minorities) representing 3,300 employers; 97% of targeted Ambassador volunteers reported strong sense of personal achievement
Key Metric 3 288 research placements delivered (4,000+ since 2020); 178,000 students on Mars Day; 142,000 on Protecting Our Planet Day; 1,500+ students across 300 CanSat teams; 6,900 young people from under-resourced backgrounds targeted

Key Outcomes

  • 96% of research placement students said experience positively influenced their confidence; 81% said placement shaped future plans; engagement with Destination STEM STEM Camps can raise GCSE and A-level attainment by up to one grade (independent 2021 evaluation)
  • 97% of teachers report STEM Ambassadors help students learn about STEM workplaces; 99% agree Ambassadors challenge stereotypes; 75% of Explorify users feel more confident in science knowledge; 99% of SKPT participants report greater subject knowledge and confidence
  • STEM Impact Fund launching January 2026 — place-based, sustained 3-year school support model; AI Roundtable convened bringing together educators, industry and policymakers; submitted evidence to Curriculum and Assessment Review; Angiolini Inquiry submission; 46% of computing lessons taught by non-specialists; at least 600 secondary schools had no specialist physics teacher

Geography

Other

Impact Snapshot
Key Metric 1
440,000+ young people aged 4-18 active members across 7,000 Groups
Key Metric 2
140,000 volunteers supporting the movement across the UK
Key Metric 3
373 Sections opened or re-energised in England between April 2024 and March 2025
0.3% overall growth in young people (ages 4-18), driven by 31% increase in Squirrel Scouts (5,200 young people)
Impact Snapshot
Key Metric 1
55,000 foster carers and 370 fostering service providers as members across the UK
Key Metric 2
45 new Fostering Friendly Employers recruited, bringing the scheme to over 680,000 employees across the UK
Key Metric 3
95 Fostering Wellbeing Pioneers in Wales offering peer support and mentoring to fellow foster carers
191 children and young people engaged in outdoor adventure weeks through the Fostering Attainment and Achievement programme in Northern Ireland
Impact Snapshot
Key Metric 1
63,023 individuals reached: 62,014 children/teens and 1,009 parents/educators
Key Metric 2
162 presenting schools and 20 districts/organisations
Key Metric 3
43 training/outreach sessions; 737 educators/community partners and 266 parents supported
49% of students applied a taught skill in their own lives.