Science

The GCSE Science courses (both Combined and Separate) cover the three Sciences (Biology, Chemistry and Physics). As well as learning specific Scientific knowledge, understanding and skills, students are taught to ‘think like a Scientist’. This includes being encouraged to be curious, imaginative, organised, methodical, analytical and have integrity - qualities that will make students successful lifelong learners. After GCSE, there is the opportunity to study Biology, Chemistry and Physics at A-level. Getting a good grade at GCSE opens up this opportunity.

To start your exploration into careers in Science, watch this video from the Royal Society.

The St Marylebone Science Department are passionate about teaching Science as a practical, creative and innovative subject.  We help students develop excellent practical science skills and to think scientifically and aim to deepen their understanding and curiosity of the world. The teaching team is highly experienced and from a range of science disciplines and backgrounds. We see introducing all of our students to the wealth of opportunities for exciting careers in Science as a very important part of our role.

The courses are designed to be able to equip all students with a wide range of transferable skills that will aid their everyday life as well as opening up the possibility of a huge variety of careers, from doctors to climate scientists and from engineers to corporate roles in large consultancy firms. These skills include: 

Collaboration, communication, critical thinking, decision making, data analysis, integrity, intellectual interest and curiosity, innovation, numeracy, perseverance, problem solving, reasoning, evaluation. 

Science students are regarded as highly desirable by employers because of these skills and qualities which scientists gain while learning. The further you take your study, the more job opportunities open up, but a high grade at GCSE is looked upon favourably, even if you choose not to take it any further.

“Don't let anyone rob you of your imagination, your creativity, or your curiosity. It's your place in the world; it's your life. Go on and do all you can with it, and make it the life you want to live.” 

- Mae Jemison

“We often talk of saving the planet, but the truth is that we must do these things to save ourselves. With or without us, the wild will return.” 

- Sir David Attenborough

In many fields in science there are more jobs available than there are people to do those jobs. Your employability after obtaining a degree in science, such as a Bachelors of Science, is therefore very good and you are likely to find a job. In addition to this, careers in science are some of the best paid jobs available. Recently, the average science salary in the UK was £40,000 and it has been increasing. One news outlet has listed average salaries in the UK and you'll notice that science-related careers tend to be on the higher end of this spectrum. Of course, as a budding scientist you would do your own research around this topic too to check if that's reliable data!

In addition to university routes into science careers, there are many competitive apprenticeships to pursue a route which is often salaried into a career in science. Some apprenticeships are also degree apprenticeships, where you work part-time for a company and part-time on your degree course. The benefit of this is that the company may pay for (part of) your degree. This route also means you might need to commit to working for that company for a certain number of years upon completion of your university degree. You may see this as an advantage (job security) or a disadvantage (requires commitment, you might change your mind); it is up to you how this makes you feel.

Everyone is welcome in Science. Some people think you have to be 'really clever' to pursue a career in science but they are wrong. You need to be interested, willing to work hard and learn in new situations. Again, everyone is welcome. Science opens its doors to all. 

References:

Take a seat, put the kettle on and let's hear about a day in the life of people who work in a range of science careers. Have a browse and click on the links that capture your interest! 

Speaker 1: Doctor                                                

Speaker 2: Environmental engineer

Speaker 3: Medical science liaison

Speaker 4: Zoo keeper

Speaker 5: Lab researcher

Speaker 6: Pharmacist

Speaker 7: Consultant

Speaker 8: Engineer

Speaker 9: Climate Scientist

Speaker 10: Veterinary Assistant

Speaker 11: Astrophysicist

Speaker 12: listen to  Mark Richards' story about Science and his career journey as a physicist, lecturer and entrepreneur.

Looking ahead..

There are many routes into science careers and you can find out more about them here. Below, we will discuss the two main routes: university and apprenticeships. Then, we will consider the variety of careers available in Science.

University: 

Most universities offer courses in the sciences, although each course varies slightly at each university. For the most up to date information about specific courses, visit the university's website directly. At university, you could get a science degree such as a BSc (Bachelor of Science), MSc (Master of Science), MEng (Master in Engineering) or MB ChB (Degree in Medicine). There is a HUGE range of degrees in science. Only some of them are listed here (otherwise this webpage would have no end!). 

Chemistry-based degree options include:

Biology-based degree options include:

Physics-based degree options include:

Mixed science degree options include:

Apprenticeships:

During a Science apprenticeship, you have the opportunity to learn and work towards a qualification, while also training on the job. Science apprenticeships come in many shapes and forms, covering industries as varied as pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, chemicals, healthcare, and energy. They can take place in many settings including university departments, industry, government departments, research institutes and hospitals.

Click here to find out about an apprenticeship success story, Angela Nwandu, 22, a laboratory scientist at AstraZeneca, who has been working to identify and understand the nature and behaviour of cells. 

You can find out more about apprenticeships in Science here. 

Careers:

Again, there is a very wide range of careers in science. Just some of them are listed below as a starting point, but there really are many more career paths you could take within science:

With all these varied careers to choose from, what sort of scientist will YOU be?

If you're interested in pursuing Science, you might want to try listening to/watching some of these:

Talks:

Podcasts:

STEM Google Classroom

Are there Apprenticeships in Science ?  

Of course, at all levels and across a multitude of disciplines. Take a look at the video linked on the icon displayed and explore the Amazing Apprenticeship Website for more information.