Evaluation of Chemistry for our Future: Extension Phase Report

Jennie Harland, Iain Springate, Pippa Lord, Suzanne Straw, Ruth Hart

01 July 2009

Report available to download from RSC website

Report appendices available to download from RSC website

From 2006–2008, HEFCE funded the Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC) to deliver Chemistry for our Future (CFOF) – a £3.6 million pilot programme to enhance young people’s experiences of chemistry both in and out of school and in undergraduate chemistry courses. With an additional £1.65 million, CFOF continued in an extension phase from September 2008 to July 2009. The RSC commissioned NFER to evaluate the CFOF programme, including its development and progress over the years, the outcomes and impacts for school pupils, university students, teachers and HEIs, and the opportunities and challenges for sustaining and embedding the CFOF work.

Findings from NFER’s CFOF evaluation report will be important for the National HE STEM Programme, being managed by the University of Birmingham (www.stemprogramme.com), which will take forward and fund some of the work established by CFOF.