Public Engagement:
Evaluation and Relevance

We organise events for pupils of all ages and abilities, undertaking thorough evaluation, by different methods including questionnaires and more informal face-to-face feedback, to ensure relevance and that high standards are achieved. We recognise the importance of not only evaluating, but also liaising with the target audience/teachers during planning stages. We regularly seek feedback from teachers and attendees to monitor effectiveness; we work with Cambridge Biologists’ Teachers’ Network, which brings together teachers and science outreach practitioners to enrich biology teaching. This is a useful forum for discussing proposals with the teaching community and ensuring that our events are closely matched with the curriculum and pupils’ interests. Feedback from pupils indicates value from exposure to role models, hands-on science, careers’ advice and building their confidence interacting with real scientists and their peers in discussion groups, which has fed into our strategy during 2005/10.

We attend school staff meetings and discuss requirements with teachers before planning resources and undertaking the classroom visits. This has resulted in the development of new resources and other requests from new schools. Primary teachers fill in short feedback forms after our visits and request that pupils send comments and summaries from the visits. We also receive qualitative feedback from parents, governors and teachers. For 2011/15 we will continue this method of reporting. We frequently receive repeat bookings, which are also indicative of a successful visit. All feedback is monitored and used to adjust the level of presentations for different age-groups and the content if necessary

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Examples of evaluation reports and feedback

Letter following Conference for Long Road Sixth Form College Applied Science Students
Feedback on Summer Research Experiences for 6th Form Students - 2007

Feedback from Royal Society Exhibition in 2010

“Totally engaged my children, when as a parent it is often difficult to do. When relaxing it is difficult to be didactic. Children were absorbed, asked questions, flipped through the exhibits, filled in a comparative quiz whilst being supported. Very rarely will my children put pen to paper outside school. Very rarely do they stay long at exhibits. Utterly absorbing. To meet scientists and have a proper conversation was inspiring for the children. Well Done!”

“Thank you very much – kids love it. What you are doing is so important, getting kids excited and inspired about science” – grandparent

“Amazing staff. Fantastic , the best stand at the event.” - Isabella’s mother