Teaching science in schools: the appliance of science National initiatives to encourage pupils to develop an interest in science-based subjects - and thus make science and engineering-related careers a compelling prospect - include the Institution of Energy and Technology's Faraday Challenge Days, the British Science Association's Crest Awards, and the Bloodhound Education Programme. "There has been a general drop-off in pure sciences over the last 10 years, particularly among girls, and in the number of engineering schools," says Jonathan Ellis, Bloodhound SSC education director. This has resulted in UK PLC and some FTSE 100 companies not being able to recruit at apprenticeship or graduate level. Bloodhound - a project born out of the quest to break the land speed record in a supersonic car, the Bloodhound SSC - makes no distinction as to whether children taking part in its projects come from state or independent schools. But, explains Ellis, independent schools tend to be a good fit as they often operate longer working days and have a stronger after-school club culture. A recent project involved pupils working out what they would need to do to live and survive in the desert, but much depends on the willingness of both teachers and pupils to put the time and effort into developing projects back in the classroom. Although facilities vary from one institution to the next, there is evidence that independent schools attract a proportionately higher level of pupils choosing science-related subjects at A-level, and achieve higher grades in them. Research by the Independent Schools Council found that 18 per cent of students at independent schools took A-level physics in 2011, with 53 per cent achieving either A or A* grades, compared to 10 and 29 per cent respectively in non-independent schools. It is a similar story with chemistry, maths and languages. Sheffield High School for girls started actively trying to generate more interest in engineering-related subjects around three years ago. Part of this involved inviting local mechanical engineering PhD students to talk about their research, which eventually led to the school running its own project with the postgraduates to design and launch a hot-air balloon. "They sent up a tracking device and a video recorder and took photos of the surface of the earth," says Valerie Dunsford, head of Sheffield High School. The girls loved that and got a lot out of it. The school has also run projects for girls in Year 9 under the Engineering Trust's Go4Set scheme - this year 12 students designed an environmentally friendly classroom - and pupils attended a special event in South Yorkshire where they were able to meet local firms involved in engineering, technology and science. "It is making girls realise that medicine is not the only career path if you're keen on science," adds Dunsford. Helen Fraser, chief executive of the Girls" Day School Trust (GDST), says science subjects are the focus for the Trust's 24 schools and two academies, and believes the single-sex approach provides a better basis on which to do this. "In an all-girls school there is no such thing as a boys" subject or a hard subject and a soft subject," she says. The girls choose according to their interests and ability, and 40 per cent of girls in GDST schools do at least one science subject at A-level. Liverpool-based Merchant Taylors" School for boys has used the concept of space to engage pupils. Head of Physics Paul Cooper, an astrophysicist by qualification, secured the loan of moon rocks from the Science and Technology Council, and used this as the basis for both physics lessons and a lunchtime geology club. "We made sure that every student in the lower school had an opportunity to handle the meteorites and we did a series of lectures about the moon landings," he says. It allowed us to expand beyond worksheets and text books and bring it to life. Students are also encouraged to work on their own projects at lunchtime and enter the Crest Awards. "One of our pupils did some interesting work on the magnetic properties of various materials at different temperatures," says Cooper. In the past pupils would never have had such an opportunity, even at undergraduate level. The all-girls Notting Hill and Ealing High School, meanwhile, has used a huge building project in the school grounds to develop pupils" interest in construction and engineering. The girls witnessed first-hand how the project came together and gained exposure to architecture, surveying and mechanical and electrical engineering practices. "One of the things pupils find hard to understand if they haven't seen it in practice is the level of communication skills required, along with maths, physics and a good sense of spatial awareness," says head Lucinda Hunt. Other independent schools are using their own resources to drive interest in science and related subjects. In 2011, St Mary's Calne School in Wiltshire ran the Girls in Science conference, inviting a range of speakers from universities, institutions and industry to present to pupils from a range of schools, including its own Year 11 students. "We want to ensure girls aren't put off by old-fashioned notions that science and engineering are disciplines women don't pursue," says head Dr Helen Wright. Fee-paying Portsmouth Grammar School has run a number of city-wide initiatives, including inviting the crew of the Space Shuttle Atlantis to meet local primary- and secondary-school pupils and taking talented students from its own school, plus others in the area, to Imperial College London's Reach Out Lab run by Prof Robert Winston. Pupils were shown design concepts of fuel energy cells and tasked with a sustainable-energy project. We created a hub at school where all this information and research was brought together and Imperial College postgraduates then came down to work with pupils and teachers on presenting the final stages of their solutions," says James Priory, the school's headmaster. Ultimately, those entering the workplace with a degree in a scientific, technological, engineering or mathematical-based subject will not only be helping to address the UK's skills gap but will also significantly improve their own career and earning prospects. "Major job opportunities await," says Dominic Graham, head of professional and technical services at scientific and industrial recruiter Kelly Services. From food technicians to pharmaceutical engineers, many jobs out there make for interesting and rewarding careers. This article first appeared in the Daily Telegraph's Independent Schools supplement on Satuarday 15 September.