John Kyrle High School and Sixth Form Centre has received a national award for encouraging and inspiring young people in the disciplines of Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths through the use of STEM ambassadors.

STEM subjects at JKHS continue to buck the national trend with large numbers of students opting for them at A-level. The progress made in the STEM subjects is epitomised in the destinations of students when they complete Advanced Levels.

In the last two years alone, degree destinations for students have included the study of aerospace, civil and mechanical engineering, oceanography, computer science, artificial intelligence, medicine, biomedical science, radiography, physics, chemistry, genetics, biology, marine biology and zoology.

The school has students who have completed doctorates, including at Oxford University, in biological sciences, medicine, zoology and in climate change, and currently has former students at leading universities in Sweden, the U.S.A and Australia.

Over recent years students have used STEM subjects to gain apprenticeships in the intelligence services, the military and at leading global companies such as Airbus, BAE, General Electric and EDF.

Headteacher, Nigel Griffiths, said that he was delighted with the award and thanked his staff and the student ‘STEM ambassadors’ for their hard work and commitment.

Mr Griffiths said this award sits alongside the school’s ‘ArtsMark Gold’ status which recognised its commitment to the arts. He said the school has a broad and balanced curriculum and students gain experience and qualifications in a wide variety of subjects.