Schools from across Birmingham including Selly Park Technology College for Girls in Selly Park, St Thomas Aquinas Catholic School in Kings Norton, Plantsbrook School in Sutton Coldfield and Castle Vale School in Castle Vale, to name but a few are all working with members of staff from the University of Birmingham to help pupils embrace the exciting world of science.

Birmingham City Council leader Mike Whitby said “Birmingham is the proud host city for the 4th National Science Cities Summit, and this will be an ideal opportunity to showcase the inward investment achieved in science based projects, celebrate the academic excellence at our universities and the forward thinking work of all our partners to highlight Birmingham as a Science City.”

Councillor Les Lawrence, Cabinet Member for Children, Young People and Families, said: “This event will also help to continue to raise awareness of the importance of sciences as academic subjects, which offer unlimited potential as a career path to school pupils.

“Many of these pupils in Birmingham are already gaining valuable insights into careers in scientific research and development thanks to projects and staff at University of Birmingham, and we want to see these links to continue to develop over time.”

Gail Rothnie, Head of the Outreach Department at the University of Birmingham, said: “Birmingham is committed to widening access to higher education and to encouraging potential in students from all backgrounds.

“In addition to our strong links with schools across the region, we have a range of initiatives in place to attract the most able students from all backgrounds. These include summer schools, mentoring and tutoring in schools, workshops and taster activities, both on and off campus, and innovative schemes targeting particular groups, priorities and subject areas.”

Examples of working practices between city schools and the University of Birmingham includes:

• AS and A level sixth form pupils studying Chemistry at Plantsbrook
  School have been attending Chemistry lectures at University of Birmingham on an evening basis, as well as attending revision classes and tutorial sessions at the university

• Dr Jeremy Pritchard from the University of Birmingham has been
  delivering guest lectures around human evolution to GCSE level and A level pupils from Kings Norton Girls School

• Pupils from Selly Park Technology College have a Young Engineers Club
  which meets every Friday is supported by Dr Mary Taylor, a postgraduate fellow from the Department of Metallurgy and Materials Science at University of Birmingham and two of her postgraduate students

• Castle Vale School pupils run a ‘Science Experience’ every half term,
  and in 2007 Lynne Long from University of Birmingham delivered a presentation on liquid nitrogen

• At St Thomas Aquinas 16 to 18 year old pupils are attending science
  lectures at University of Birmingham and have a University physics student, Sue Ballantine, visit the school as a science ambassador

The 4th National Science Cities Summit takes place over two days, 15-16 November, at the ICC and Thinktank at Millennium Point.