Listed below are a small selection of quotes and feedback gathered from schools across the UK.  These examples highlight how the work and support of STEMNET, contract holders and Science and Engineering Ambassadors can help impact the performance and motivation of students and encourage them to consider further study and careers in STEM subjects.

John F Kennedy School
Paul Curruthers – Deputy Head

“I cannot imagine life without my local contract holder!  They perform 4 essential functions for our school:

• They inspire us and our students, and present opportunities for curriculum development and enrichment.  Students need the opportunities to shine and our SETPOINT contract holder provides these.
• They help us deliver our community Science/Technology curriculum.  As a Specialist School for Technology we work collaboratively, trialing and evaluating new projects.  This is a particularly difficult area for schools like us who need to focus on our classrooms yet also must deliver primary school programmes and gifted and talented programmes.  This essential development work would not happen without our SETPOINT contract holder.  Together we are delivering ICT robotics to our community of primary schools.
• They help to develop a network of school/industry links which is another area of difficulty for schools. 
• Staff Development is often too low on the school priorities list.  Science and Technology are fast moving areas of the curriculum.  The SETPOINT contract holder really has their finger on the pulse.  We have them to thank for providing the training to introduce laser technology into our technology department.

At a point where media studies and other such subjects are attracting more and more students there has never been a greater need to promote Science and Technology”.

St Cuthberts School, Newcastle
Ant Meczes - Head of Biology

“This has been a truly positive relationship between our contract holder in the North East and St. Cuthbert’s High School. The benefits for our students have been very positive. Many have been enthused by the projects and wanted to take them further. Many have gone on to further studies in science, in part due to their involvement in these projects. Also, it is something worthwhile to include in UCAS applications.”

Tarleton High School
Judith Roscoe - Head of Design & Technology

“We have just completed our first Young Foresight activity; a full day of engineering design with our Year 9 pupils.  It was fantastic to see the children engaged in this type of work, and it was particularly rewarding to see some of the pupils that normally do not engage with ‘traditional’ Design and Technology lessons, fully immersed, and in some instances leading their teams.  Much of the planning for the day was done with the help of a local Science & Engineering Ambassador (SEA) who was linked with us from an early stage by the contract holder in Lancashire.  The Ambassador’s help and suggestions, coming from a very different perspective than ours, was both refreshing and challenging.  the STEM adviser and our SEA worked with us throughout the day and made it a great success overall.  We now intend to work again with our SEA on other related projects later in the year.  We would certainly involve our local contract holder again in our future curriculum enrichment activities.”