Content of CLEAPSS courses for science technicians
Basic Chemical and General Skills Back to course list
This one-day practical course is designed for science technicians that are new and/or inexperienced but some experienced technicians may find it of some use too.
During the course, the following items will normally be covered:
Each technician should bring to the course as many as possible of the following:
Basic Physics Skills Back to course list
This one-day practical course is designed for science technicians who are new and/or inexperienced with physics equipment used in science departments. (But others may get some useful tips).
During the course, the following items will normally be covered:
Each technician should bring:
Biological Safety Back to course list
Safe, legal and humane biology: this 1-day course will help teachers and technicians to understand and interpret the many regulations, recommendations and the confusing, and sometimes contradictory, advice from various sources which relate to the safe teaching and resourcing of biology in schools. The emphasis will be on helping to dispel the abundant myths and rumours which often influence the teaching of biology. There is no practical work but plenty of interactive discussions, which will also provide the opportunity for individual queries to be answered.
Chemical Safety for Technicians (formerly First Chemical Handling) Back to course list
This course is suitable for technicians new to school chemistry. No prior chemical knowledge is required. Note: the course is not intended for those with detailed chemical experience, though it can help in adapting outside experience to work in school science. The aims of the course are to use CLEAPSS information and practical skills:
During the course, the following topics will normally be covered:
Demonstrations, paper exercises and practical sessions are included to increase technicians’ confidence. Opportunities to ask questions on matters relating to chemicals in school should occur during the day.
Each technician should bring:
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Electrical Inspection and Testing Back to course list
This one-day course (usually about 4½ hours, excluding any breaks) is designed mainly for science and technology technicians who will be carrying out electrical inspection and testing in schools and colleges but who have limited electrical knowledge. It may also be appropriate for other school staff who carry out electrical inspection and testing.
During the course, the following items will normally be covered:
Each participant should bring:
Fume Cupboard Monitoring (ducted and/or filter fume cupboards) Back to course list
It is the responsibility of employers who provide fume cupboards to ensure that they are tested at 14-monthly intervals (COSHH Regulations). If laboratory technicians, teacher or advisers are required to carry out the test and report to their employer, then they should be suitably trained. The object of this short course is to provide this tuition.
In the first part of the course, instructions on how to carry out a face-velocity test and a visual examination are given. This lasts for about 75 minutes. Participants may depart after this session but, if schools have, or intend to buy, a mobile filter fume cupboard, then it would be advisable to stay on for the second part.
The second part of this course demonstrates a method for testing the saturation of filters in filter fume cupboards. The talk also reviews the advantages and disadvantages of these types of fume cupboards and explains how they work. This session lasts about 45 minutes.
For both parts of the course, written instructions will be provided by CLEAPSS.
The venue must have both a ducted and filter fume cupboard.
Participants should bring with them:
Health and Safety for Science Technicians Back to course list
Various regulations point out the need for employers to provide training in health and safety matters. This course was designed by a team set up by the Association for Science Education to help with the health and safety training of school laboratory technicians.
The course has the following objectives.
During the course, the following aspects will be covered:
It will be helpful if participants can bring with them a laptop (and extension cable) on which they have, or can run, the most recent CLEAPSS Science Publications CD-ROM.
Some ASE and CLEAPSS publications will be on sale during the course at cost (invoices will be supplied).
Making Simple Science Equipment Back to course list
A one day (about 5½ hours) practical course for science technicians.
Technicians will make, and take back to school, some simple pieces of equipment that will be useful for their jobs and could save their schools money. At the same time, they will learn how to use some simple hand tools, soldering techniques and some glass working techniques. As well as learning how to make the items and the techniques involved, it is hoped that the course will also give technicians ideas and confidence for tackling further projects in their workplace.
Items usually made are:
Each technician should bring:
Microbiology Back to course list
This 1-day course will provide technicians and teachers with all the information they will need for experimental work normally carried out in schools and colleges using bacteria and fungi, including how to prepare media and cultures, and dispose of used materials. Basic techniques are covered with some extension to more advanced applications. There will be an emphasis on the acquisition of practical skills in handling microbiological materials, together with a full discussion of all relevant safety precautions. Course participants will prepare and inoculate various agar plates which they will take with them for incubation and subsequent examination and disposal in their own schools/colleges.
Each participant should bring a clean laboratory coat to wear during the practical parts of the course.
The topics covered on the course are as follows:
Microscope Maintenance Back to course list
This 1-day course (usually about 4½ hours, excluding any breaks) is designed for the school technician with little knowledge or experience of servicing school microscopes. The purpose of the course is to provide the confidence to tackle simple maintenance tasks and to impart the knowledge to enable faults in school microscopes to be identified so that standard repairs can be done. Certain jobs will still require the services of professional microscope technicians. During the course, the following items will normally be covered:
Each technician must bring to the course:
And as many of the following as possible:
NB. A stereo microscope and some of the more advanced university type of microscopes are not suitable for this course.
Physics Training for Science Technicians Back to course list
This 1-day course (about 5 hours excluding breaks) is designed to enable secondary school science laboratory technicians to provide better support for the teaching of practical physics in the classroom.
It also provides a valuable opportunity for technicians to meet together and share expertise.
Course participants should bring a laboratory coat.
Some prior familiarisation with section 12 of the CLEAPSS Laboratory Handbook would be helpful.
A typical programme for the day would be as follows:
Practical Techniques & Skills in Chemistry (formerly Second Chemical Handling) Back to course list
This 1-day course is suitable for school technicians who work specifically in chemistry departments and/or prepare materials involving chemicals for KS3, KS4 and A-level work. It is useful, but not absolutely essential, if technicians have attended the Chemical Safety for Technicians course before attending this session. The course will also be useful to newly qualified science teachers, teachers wishing to familiarise themselves with technieques in chemistry and chemical equipment and Higher Learning Teaching Assistants.
It is hoped that those on the course will gain in confidence when handling standard chemical equipment used in schools including burettes, pipettes, pH meters and conductivity meters and that they will become more skilful with techniques such as titration, gas preparation, preparing solutions, chromatography and handling Quickfit equipment. All these activities have prompted many calls to the Helpline There is a mix of practical work and demonstration. Safety will be high on the agenda but the aim is to retain the excitement and fascination of chemistry throughout the day.
An outline of the topics covered on the course is given below:
Each technician should bring:
Reduced and Microscale Chemistry Back to course list
Practical procedures for pupils using conventional equipment are often time-consuming and maybe left out of teaching, consequently lowering pupil expectations of secondary school science. Small-scale chemistry is quick, saves on chemicals and offers variety in presentation. The course covers indicators, precipitation, salt preparation, reaction kinetics, iron/sulfur reactions, working with toxic gases and carrying out small-scale vigorous reactions. This workshop requires a laboratory because participants (please bring safety spectacles & calculators) will carry out the procedures themselves. It is intended for up to 16 teachers but technicians are also welcome. A full session lasts for 1 day but a shorter version (½-day) can be run (in conjunction with Surely it’s banned or a Fume Cupboard Testing course).
For conferences, a 1-hour workshop is available, which may be repeated or run with A Demonstration is not just for Christmas. In this case it can be adapted for a room.
Participants must bring along some safety spectacles and a calculator. Participants might also like to bring a digital camera.
Running a Prep Room Back to course list
This one-day discussion based course explores and shares ideas for good prep room management. It is intended for senior technicians and those aspiring to become senior technicians and is based on the CLEAPSS guides L248 a&b, Running a Prep Room.
Topics usually covered are:
Each technician should bring:
Surely it's banned (talk intended for teachers but technicians are also very welcome) Back to course list
This talk with over 16 chemistry demonstrations takes its title from the report written for the Royal Society of Chemistry which showed that pupils often do not witness the many wonderful visual experiences that science (and particularly chemistry) has to offer. Teachers and technicians often cite "Health and safety" for not doing demonstrations such as the fat-pan fire and hydrogen/air explosions. There is a mistaken perception that they are banned. The talk will show teachers of chemistry at KS3 & 4, and technicians, the secrets behind each demonstration and where to find details of how to do them. The talk lasts 2 hours with 1.5 hours setting up time and 30 minutes to dismantle the equipment.
Numbers are limited by the size of the room, which needs to be a lecture theatre or laboratory (without a smoke detector!) with access to a fume cupboard. Technicians are also welcome to attend with their teachers. It is suitable as an after school session (with a full day’s course on the following day in the same Local Authority or one close by) or it can be run in conjunction with a workshop in Reduced and Microscale Chemistry.
Please bring safety spectacles.
Working with Glass Back to course list
This one-day practical course will provide technicians with the knowledge and skills required to make most of the simple bends, and other items required for gas preparation, in most secondary school science departments. It will also demonstrate how some items of broken glass equipment can be repaired.
Topics usually covered include the following:
Each technician should bring:
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