Pupils experience university-level research in the classroom.

Hutchesons’ Grammar School has had the opportunity to use a portable Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) as part of the Portable SEM in Schools Programme – an exceptional initiative bringing cutting-edge STEM research into schools and creating opportunities to connect pupils, researchers and the wider community.

Supported by educational organisations including Hitachi Global Partners, the Natural History Museum, the Institute for Research in Schools, Oxford Instruments and the Royal Microscopical Society, the programme brought authentic scientific research directly into school settings.

Unlike a traditional microscope, an SEM uses a focused beam of electrons rather than light to produce highly detailed, three-dimensional images of microscopic objects. The technology can reveal structures invisible to the naked eye, from the intricate scales of butterfly wings to the surface of human red blood cells. This specialist technology is more commonly found in universities and research environments – something many people may never have the opportunity to use in their lifetime. Pupils at Hutchesons’, however, had the opportunity to use it in the classroom.

The SEM was on loan for nine weeks, with access shared between Hutchesons’ Grammar School, Shawlands Academy, and Glasgow Science Centre. The shared programme created opportunities for collaboration across all three sites, allowing pupils and staff to explore authentic scientific research using technology more commonly found in universities and research laboratories.

Alongside curriculum-based learning, the programme aimed to have a strong community focus, with more than 200 students expected to engage across the initiative. Planned activities included microscopy sessions at Glasgow Science Centre, introducing the wider public to SEM research, while Young STEM Leaders were also able to share their work with P7 pupils in their local communities, encouraging the next generation to engage with STEM.

Dr Deirdre McCarthy, Biology Teacher at Hutchesons’ Grammar School, commented:

“Seeing this project become a reality has been incredibly rewarding. The training has given me the confidence to use SEM technology with our pupils and, most importantly, to open their eyes to authentic scientific research. It’s a fantastic opportunity to bring something truly extraordinary into the classroom and inspire the next generation of scientists.”

The programme has already connected more than 11,000 students across the UK and supported more than 331 student research projects, exploring questions ranging from whether flour contains insect parts to how abrasive whitening toothpastes are.

The Institute for Research in Schools shared:

“We want to change the culture in UK education so that authentic research and innovation are part of every young person’s experience.”

The experience also created opportunities for pupils to explore how their work with the SEM could connect with professional research. Future projects were hoped to include collaboration with researchers from Science and Plants for Schools in Cambridge and the James Hutton Institute in Dundee, investigating how microscopic structures on plant leaves enable plants to exchange gases, and how these structures may change when crops are grown in vertical farms rather than in traditional fields or greenhouses.

There were also plans for schools to collaborate with more than 40 Glasgow beekeepers to explore pollinator-plant interactions. These proposed projects aimed to strengthen links between schools and the local community while contributing to a wider understanding of biodiversity, sustainable food production and food security.

Bringing a SEM into the classroom provided a rare and exciting opportunity to ignite curiosity across the curriculum and give pupils hands-on experience of authentic scientific research. The shared programme also created a platform for Hutchesons’ Grammar School, Shawlands Academy and Glasgow Science Centre to connect, engage their communities and inspire the next generation of scientists and STEM Leaders.

See below some images our pupils captured with the SEM below.