Evaluation of the Lord Bhattacharyya Engineering Education Programme for the Royal Academy of Engineering

The Lord Bhattacharyya Engineering Education Programme (‘LBEEP’) was launched in March 2020. It worked with a network of 20 secondary schools and five Further Education  colleges around the West Midlands, and sought to enhance and enrich the STEM curriculum and also to encourage learners, particularly those from under-represented groups, to progress into careers in engineering. The LBEEP delivered a range of activities, including in-school STEM days/weeks, projects and competitions, and it also funded equipment and external school trips.  In its first four years, the Programme delivered almost £147k worth of support involving at least 38,620 learners.

In July 2024, the Royal Academy of Engineering commissioned SQW to deliver an evaluation of the LBEEP, to explore three overarching research questions:

  • 1. How is the LBEEP implemented and delivered in practice?
  • 2. What difference has the LBEEP made to pupils and students?
  • 3. What difference has the LBEEP made to teachers, in-school coordinators or any other staff?

The evaluation team used programme documentation (including project applications and end-of-project reports); consultations with teachers and other school staff; and focus groups with 28 learners across five schools and colleges in the West Midlands to answer these research questions.

We found that learners, as well as teachers enjoyed LBEEP activities. Teachers said they felt better able to manage and deliver LBEEP activities effectively where they could share responsibilities with other members of staff in their departments, whereas teachers who had sole responsibility for managing LBEEP on top of their usual roles found participation more challenging. Teachers also noted that support from senior leadership in their settings enabled the successful delivery of LBEEP activities. They positively appreciated support from staff at the Academy who provided advice, guidance and other resources.

As a result, learners, and their teachers, reported an improved understanding of engineering and a greater interest and excitement in engineering as a career. In addition, there were anecdotal examples where the Programme, alongside a range of other factors led to increased attainment and progression into STEM subjects by some learners. 

For further information regarding SQW’s work on the study, please contact Dr Jo Hutchinson via jhutchinson@sqw.co.uk.​​​​​