PRIMARY NEWS
Primary Engineer and Baxi expand three-year STEM education partnership
Not-for-profit organisation Primary Engineer has expanded its partnership with Baxi to bring STEM into the classroom and inspire the next generation of engineers. The initiative is funded by the BDR Thermea Foundation, the owner of Baxi’s parent company BDR Thermea Group, and follows the announcement of Baxi’s four-year principal Sponsorship of World Skills UK.
Building on Baxi’s successful four-year partnership with Primary Engineer in Preston, where Baxi has its manufacturing facility, the new agreement involves expanding the Construction Programme to include Warwick, home to Baxi’s UK headquarters. Engaging 60 primary schools across Warwick and Preston will connect over 3,000 pupils with real- world Baxi engineers who will help them to develop skills, confidence and curiosity around engineering.
The programme consists of two curriculum-linked engineering projects for Key Stage 1 (ages 5 to 7) and Key Stage 2 (ages 7 to 11) that encourage pupils to design, build and present their ideas. The initiative will simultaneously train more than 100 teachers who will be directly supported by the Baxi volunteer engineers during both training and classroom delivery.
The initiative also includes a 3-year partnership for the ‘If you were an engineer, what would you do?’ competition in Lancashire and West Central England. Open to pupils aged 3 to 19, the competition invites participants to interview engineers, learn about the breadth of engineering careers, and develop imaginative solutions to real-world challenges. Baxi’s engineers will be involved in grading entries, judging shortlisted designs, and celebrating the winners at regional exhibitions and awards ceremonies.
Primary Engineer Head of Partnerships Natasha Kinnear said: “We
are thrilled to be expanding our partnership with Baxi and the BDR Thermea Foundation. Together, we’re opening the doors of engineering to thousands of young people, helping them to see how engineering is relevant to their lives and how they can play a part in shaping a more sustainable future.
“By connecting pupils with real engineers, whether through practical classroom projects or the ‘If you were an engineer, what would you do?’ competition, we’re inspiring creativity, curiosity, and problem-solving from an early age. It’s partnerships like this that show how industry and education can work together to equip the next generation with the skills and ambition needed to support the energy transition and help tackle the challenges of tomorrow.”
The Primary Engineer programme will begin in the autumn when teachers in the Preston and Warwick participating schools, supported by our engineers and the Primary Engineer team, will be introduced to this year’s construction projects.
Rocksteady Music School moves to Birmingham
Midlands. These help them to find a sense of belonging through new friendships and a shared love for music, whilst boosting social skills, wellbeing and self-belief.
Through the Rocksteady Foundation, the organisation already provides more than £300,000 of free music lessons each year in the West Midlands, giving more than 1,000 disadvantaged children across the region access to music lessons. Rocksteady is also the country’s largest employer of full-time, permanent salaried musicians. During the dedicated launch event, attendees heard from Jim Simpson about some of the highlights of his long and varied career in the music industry. As someone whose involvement in music has spanned decades, Jim has seen first-hand the transformative impact that learning music from a young age can have. Attendees also got a taste of the rockstar experience by creating their own music in a hands-on ‘Build a Band’ workshop.
Rocksteady – the UK’s biggest and fastest-growing music school – has picked Birmingham for its new base, where it plans to create 100 music education jobs in the next three years. The new facility was officially launched during a special event attended by Jim Simpson, Managing Director of Big Bear Records and first manager of legendary Birmingham- born rock band, Black Sabbath and Deputy Mayor of the West Midlands, Councillor Sharon Thompson.
Rocksteady Music School specialises in providing primary-age children with in-school band lessons, including at 212 schools across the West
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www.education-today.co.uk
Rocksteady’s new Birmingham base joins its Hampshire location as one of two national offices. This new hub will play a pivotal role in strengthening Rocksteady’s national network and supporting its mission to remove barriers to music education for as many children as possible. Scott Monks, CEO at Rocksteady Music School, said: “We’re big believers in the power of music to change lives for the better. Our new Birmingham base will support our mission to help as many children as possible realise the social and wellbeing benefits of music, while creating skilled and rewarding roles for local musicians and music lovers. We’re looking forward to supporting the West Midlands’ already thriving creative industry as we expand our team here over the coming years.”
September 2025
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