Welcome Educators!
At The Schools' Observatory, we’re here to help you bring space and science to life in your classroom.
Whether you’re looking to inspire curiosity, engage students in hands-on learning, or explore the wonders of the Universe, we’ve got you covered.
Register with The Schools’ Observatory. It’s free!
The children really appreciate that they can make real observations. It's another way of being practical for a subject which is generally abstract. - Primary School teacher
Here’s how we can help you!
- Access Professional Telescopes: You don’t need a telescope at your school to explore the Universe! By registering with The Schools' Observatory, you gain access to over 20 robotic telescopes from around the world, thanks to our partnership with the Dill Faulkes Educational Trust and the Liverpool Telescope.
- Control a Telescope Live: Use robotic telescopes in real-time, bringing the excitement of live space exploration directly into your classroom, and engage your students in hands-on science.
- Go Observing: Our user-friendly web interface, Go Observing, guides you through the process of requesting observations, even if you’ve never used a telescope before. Don’t worry—you can’t break the telescopes!
- View and Analyse Observations: Our free, easy-to-use browser-based software allows you to view and analyse your telescope observations.
- Educational Resources: Access a wide variety of space-themed lesson plans and activities mapped to the UK and Republic of Ireland curricula.
- Trusted Resources: Our resources are created and reviewed by professionals in The Schools' Observatory Team. The language used is accessible for young people and each resource contains key information for teachers.
- Teaching Techniques: Explore inquiry-based science education and other methodologies to enhance your lessons.
- Training and CPD: Join our professional development courses and training sessions.
They love the idea that they are doing something pro astronomers do, that it's real images, ... It moves it away from it being something in school that their teacher is making them do. - Secondary School teacher
- Teacher Champions
It’s incredibly important that we hear from our users, and we truly value your input.
Your feedback helps ensure that we remain responsive to the needs of educators worldwide.
That’s why, in 2021, we created The Schools' Observatory Teacher Champions.
This group meets three times a year to help guide the direction and development of The Schools' Observatory.
Currently, our Champions are based in UK and Ireland, but if you're outside this region and would like to get involved, please email us at SchoolsObs@ljmu.ac.uk.
Our current Champions
- David Allden, University of Wolverhampton
- Kate Arrand, Wigan and Leigh Colleges
- Peter Biggs, St Laurence’s Catholic Primary School
- Andy Brittain, Lady Eleanor Holles School
- Helen Brown, Ormskirk School & 6th Form
- Andrea Fesmer
- Ron Holt
- Peter Kane, Kilglass National School
- Fergus Lear, The John of Gaunt School
- Louise Ledger, Trinity Academy St Edward's
- Sarah Llewellyn-Davies, The Astro Educator
- Alice Perry, Abingdon School
- Steffan Tudor, Ysgol Glan Clwyd
Future membership
Membership of the Champions is currently closed. If you are interested in becoming a Champion in the future, please have a look through the current Champions agreement and email SchoolsObs@ljmu.ac.uk.
We want this group to be as representative as possible of the voice of educators throughout the UK and Ireland. Therefore, we have set the following targets:
- There must be representation from primary, secondary, and further education levels.
- There must be representation from at least 3 (ideally all 5) of the nations covered by The Schools' Observatory: England, Ireland, Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Wales.
- There must be a maximum of one teacher from a fee-paying school.
- We would like representation from at least 2 teachers from the Liverpool City Region, in line with our commitment to Liverpool John Moores University and our civic duty.
- Who are The Schools’ Observatory?
The Schools’ Observatory is part of Liverpool John Moores University. We use the inspirational topic of space to promote understanding and enjoyment of STEM subjects. Our team of professionals with experience in science research and education are here to support you. We offer regular training and development sessions.