STEM (science, technology, engineering, and maths) education isn’t just for teens—it starts much earlier, and it makes a real difference. According to the U.S. Department of Education, introducing STEM early helps children develop critical thinking, creativity, and logical problem-solving skills. These aren’t just academic benefits—they’re the building blocks for how children explore the world, communicate ideas, and overcome challenges in everyday life.
In the UK, this early start is gaining momentum. STEM subjects are part of the national curriculum for pupils aged 5 to 16. From updated national curriculums to hands-on coding lessons, STEM is becoming part of learning from age 3 onwards. When children build with coding robots, experiment on block coding websites, or try to code a robot in a school or club, they’re doing much more than playing. They’re building real skills—like testing ideas, debugging, and making things work. Even learning how to build a robot at home can spark a lasting interest in technology and innovation. The UK government has supported this shift through new curriculum standards, stronger teacher training, and improved career guidance. But access and engagement are not equal everywhere. Some children still miss out due to a lack of resources or support.
In this blog, we’ll explore the current state of STEM education for children aged 3 to 18 in the UK. We’ll look at what’s working, where the gaps are, and how parents, schools, and communities can work together to prepare children for a digital future.
What STEM Subjects Are Taught at Different Ages in UK Schools?
Understanding what children learn—and when—is key to supporting strong STEM education. In the UK, STEM isn’t a standalone subject. Instead, it’s woven into the curriculum through maths, science, and computing at different key stages. What a five-year-old needs is very different from what a teenager needs in their GCSEs or A-Levels. Let’s take a closer look at how STEM is introduced and developed across age groups in UK schools.
Ages 3–5: How Do Young Children Start Learning STEM?
In early years settings—like nurseries and reception—children aren’t sitting at computers learning how to code a robot. But they are doing something just as important: building the foundations.
Activities like pouring water, stacking blocks, sorting shapes, or exploring the garden help children learn about size, pattern, cause and effect, and problem-solving. These link directly to the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) framework, which promotes hands-on learning and early maths and science understanding.
Even simple tasks like comparing quantities or noticing changes in materials lay the groundwork for logical thinking and curiosity—key traits for STEM success later on.
Ages 5–11: What STEM Subjects Do Primary Students Learn?
In primary school, STEM subjects become more structured. Children are taught maths, science, and computing as part of the National Curriculum in England. Since 2014, computing elements, including coding, have been introduced at Key Stage 1, aiming for pupils as young as five to engage with the basic logic behind code using simple games, apps, and block coding websites.
But despite this early exposure, delivery isn’t consistent. Reports, including an Ofsted review in 2021 on primary science education, have consistently highlighted that many primary teachers don’t feel confident teaching science, and often receive limited subject-specific training.
This means practical STEM learning—like experiments or project-based computing—can be patchy. So, while coding a robot might be on the syllabus, the classroom experience may not always match the intent.
Ages 11–14: How Does STEM Education Change in Lower Secondary?
At Key Stage 3 (Years 7 to 9), students move into more formal STEM study. Science is taught as a combination of physics, chemistry, and biology, while computing lessons expand into logic, algorithms, and data handling. This is also the age when students often get their first taste of physical computing—using tools like coded robot kits or trying platforms such as app robotica that blend coding with real-world control systems.
These projects help bring abstract ideas to life. Students can build things that respond to input, follow commands, or solve tasks—giving them real experience in how systems think and behave.
But this is also when many students begin to lose interest in STEM—especially girls. While the curriculum becomes more advanced, hands-on opportunities can decline. If students aren’t doing real experiments or building things themselves, STEM can feel distant or too theoretical. Research suggests that when practical science is limited, students become less engaged and less likely to continue with STEM later on.
Ages 14–18: What STEM Choices Do Students Have at GCSE and A-Level?
At the GCSE level (Key Stage 4), most pupils take combined science—a double award that includes biology, chemistry, and physics. Others choose triple science, studying each subject separately. Maths is compulsory, while subjects like computing and design and technology are offered as options for those looking to deepen their STEM learning.
At this stage, hands-on learning becomes even more important—but also more limited. The Science Education Tracker 2023 found that only 26% of GCSE-age students do practical science activities at least once a fortnight. Many students now watch demonstrations or videos instead of conducting experiments themselves, a shift often influenced by curriculum pressures, resource limitations, and assessment demands. This shift risks making science feel passive and disconnected from real-world problem-solving.
At A-Level (ages 16–18), students specialise. Maths and biology are the most popular STEM subjects, but uptake in physics and computing remains low—especially among girls and students in under-resourced schools. Research by organisations like EngineeringUK and the British Science Association highlights systemic barriers: a shortage of subject-specialist teachers, unequal access to lab equipment, and persistent gender stereotypes that influence student confidence and subject choices.
These subject pathways show that STEM is part of the entire school journey—from pouring sand in nursery to tackling algorithms in sixth form. But just because it’s on the curriculum doesn’t mean it’s working equally well for every child. So, what’s holding STEM education back?
What Challenges Is the UK Facing in STEM Education—and How Is It Responding?
Despite growing national attention, UK schools still face major hurdles in delivering effective STEM education—especially for students aged 3–18.
One key issue is unequal access. Students from lower-income backgrounds are less likely to have hands-on opportunities like coding robotics, using block coding websites, or accessing enriched after-school STEM clubs. This limits both their confidence and their ability to explore pathways like coding a robot or working with advanced tools.
Gender imbalance remains a persistent concern. Girls continue to be underrepresented in subjects like physics and computing, often due to a mix of social expectations, lack of role models, and low early engagement.
A third challenge is the shortage of qualified teachers, particularly in computing and physics. Many schools struggle to recruit subject specialists, leading to inconsistent quality in core STEM lessons.
To tackle these gaps, the UK government has taken a multi-pronged approach. Its national STEM strategy includes updated curriculum guidance, redesigned teacher training programmes, and expanded career education. The “Maths to 18” initiative is working to improve maths standards and boost teacher expertise in numeracy. Meanwhile, new investments in continuing professional development (CPD) aim to support teachers in gaining confidence with STEM topics—particularly in under-resourced schools.
These reforms show clear intent—but ensuring they reach every child, in every region, remains the next big step.
STEM Beyond the Classroom: Clubs, Families, and Cross-Disciplinary Learning
STEM learning doesn’t end when the school day does. Across the UK, extracurricular programmes give children space to apply what they’ve learned through creative, hands-on experiences. Clubs like Code Club, FIRST LEGO League, and the Big Bang Fair help students dive into robot building, coding robotics, and basic engineering tasks. These environments make STEM social, active, and rewarding.
At home, families have an important role in supporting learning. Tools like coding robot toys, block coding websites, and DIY kits that teach kids how to build a robot at home are helping children explore tech early. Many parents also turn to online platforms or tutoring when schools can’t provide enough STEM resources. This trend grew stronger during the COVID-19 pandemic, which disrupted in-person learning but accelerated the shift to digital platforms. Now, virtual coding apps, robotics tutorials, and blended learning are part of everyday education.
STEM also connects naturally with other subjects. Many UK schools—especially in Scotland, through its Curriculum for Excellence framework and guidance from the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA)—actively blend STEM with language, the arts, and humanities. These crossovers help students see science and technology not just as technical subjects, but as part of the broader world they live in.
How WhalesBot and Our Clients Support STEM Education
WhalesBot delivers hands-on robotics and AI education tools that bring STEM learning to life. Our products are designed for schools, training centres, and after-school programmes that want to make coding, robotics, and engineering accessible to every child.
In the UK, our clients include Edtech Maven Ltd, STEAMBots Academy, and Hannah7-Meridian. These organisations use WhalesBot kits in extracurricular settings to help students build, code, and create with confidence. From early logic training to AI robotics, WhalesBot supports every stage of STEM learning.
One of our most popular kits, the WhalesBot AI Module 1S, introduces children to the basics of artificial intelligence through interactive building and programming. With visual programming, voice recognition, and real-time sensor feedback, it teaches students not just to code a robot—but to understand how intelligent systems respond to the world.
For more advanced learners, the WhalesBot Eagle 1003 provides flight-based coding experiences using remote or block-based coding. It’s used in engineering clubs and coding competitions to teach aerodynamics, sensor logic, and real-time data handling.
The WhalesBot Rocky supports multiple programming languages, including Scratch, Python, and C. Equipped with a variety of sensors, it enables interactive functions like line following, obstacle avoidance, face recognition, gesture sensing, voice interaction, and light and sound detection. These features help young learners explore robotics and AI through structured, hands-on activities.
Through these tools, WhalesBot and our UK partners create rich, engaging learning environments that go far beyond the textbook. Whether it’s coding a robot, designing a drone path, or solving real-world tasks with sensors and motors, students gain skills that last a lifetime.
Conclusion: Building the Future, One Robot at a Time
STEM education in the UK is evolving—from early years to A-Levels, new policies and updated curriculums are creating better pathways for young learners. But not every student is keeping pace. Gaps in access, hands-on experience, and subject diversity still hold many back. Bridging those gaps takes more than classroom reform. It takes practical tools, strong partnerships, and real opportunities to build, code, and experiment.
At WhalesBot, we’re proud to support that mission. With clients like Edtech Maven Ltd, STEAMBots Academy, and Hannah7-Meridian, we’re helping students learn STEM by doing—whether they’re working with Rocky, AI Module 1S, or Eagle 1003. Because the future isn’t just something to imagine. It’s something to build—starting now.
