A STEM classroom (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) has opened in the grounds of Settle Primary School with help from The Settle-Carlisle Railway Development Company.

The new classroom will promote the four educational elements and make it accessible to other schools across the Settle-Carlisle line.

The two partners have been working towards a STEM curriculum, becoming the Roll Royce Science Prize finalists and Employee Choice Winners (2018), Farmvention STEM National Finalists 2019 and 2020, and is currently the only school in North Yorkshire to have been in three consecutive national STEM finals.

“We aim to work with schools along the Settle-Carlisle Railway Line to encourage STEM education to as many schools as possible,” said Katie Chesworth, projects and social media manager with Settle-Carlisle Railway. “We know how important STEM education is, and look forward to working with schools, and show the wide range of employment opportunities available within the rail industry.”

The Settle-Carlisle Railway has been at the forefront of this project, sourcing funding from Northern Trains, Avanti West Coast, Cross Country Trains, Yorkshire Dales National Park, Community Rail Network, Settle Rotary, and Settle Middle School Legacy Fund.

Richard Wright, Executive Headteacher of Settle and Malhamdale Primary Partnership, says "With thanks to the Settle Carlisle Railway Development Company , we now have a brand new STEM Studio resource that we can use to continue the important work we began before the Pandemic.”

“We now look forward with great excitement to championing the teaching and learning of STEM subjects to children across the locality for many years to come and to continuing the momentum that was established pre-Covid 19. We are very grateful for the amazing support that we have received. It is most definitely true that without the help of our sponsors we would not have been able to have this superb facility”

Joanna Buckley, Community Manager at Avanti West Coast, said: “We’re delighted this classroom is now open, so Settle Primary School can expand their efforts to teach more children these important subjects.

“We want to connect young people to opportunity and by supporting this great initiative through our Community Rail Project Fund we hope to inspire the next generation to think about rail as a career and help them develop skills for the future.”

The STEM studio plans to be open to the community as well, helping provide a new and unique space for groups to meet.