The Schools' Observatory News
December 2025
Calling All Educators: Join Our Teacher Champions Group!
We’re proud to work alongside incredible educators who help shape the future of The Schools’ Observatory. Their feedback has always been at the heart of what we do.
Since 2021, our Teacher Champions group has met three times a year to guide the development of our website, resources, and outreach. This group ensures we remain relevant, responsive, and inspiring for classrooms everywhere.
Now, We’re looking to expand the group and we need your help!
We’re especially keen to hear from:
- Primary teachers
- Teachers in the Liverpool City Region
- Teachers based in Scotland and Northern Ireland
The current Champions agreement details timelines and commitments and what you can expect to get back. Please have a look through it, and if this sounds like something you would like to be involved with, please email the team at SchoolsObs@ljmu.ac.uk.
Let’s shape the future of space education together!
For Schools in Liverpool City Region: Bring STEM Investigations to Your Classroom!
We’re inviting Year 5 classes to take part in Can We Get Humans to Mars?, a brand-new, free STEM programme funded by Liverpool John Moores University and The Royal Society.
The project is designed to spark curiosity, build scientific skills, and give students a taste of real space exploration. It also supports the Earth and Space topic in the national curriculum.
What your school will receive:
- A trained, passionate STEM ambassador to work directly with your students
- 4 in-person visits to your school across one term
- 6 hands-on, cross-curricular investigations themed around getting humans to Mars
- Resources and support for 3 teacher-led sessions
- 2 CPD events for your lead teacher, hosted at Liverpool John Moores University
- Cover costs for staff attending the CPD
- A student engagement programme that builds problem-solving and scientific thinking
Completion rewards include:
- A set of space-themed library books
- 2 Arduino robots for your school
We’re now coming to the end of Phase 1, and we are recruiting 14 schools for Phase 2.
Key dates:
- CPD: March/April 2026
- In-school delivery: April–July 2026
Places are limited so if your school is interested, please register using this form.
We Are Hiring!
We’re excited to share a new opportunity within our team. We are looking for a maternity cover for our Project Manager of The Schools’ Observatory.
This is a unique role that brings together public engagement, education, project management, marketing, and a passion for inspiring young people through space. You do not need to be an astrophysicist, we’re looking for someone with strong management experience and a commitment to supporting educators and learners.
About the role:
- Full-time, up to 1 year
- Hybrid, with some on-campus time in Liverpool
- Salary: £47,389–£58,225 per annum (Grade 8)
- Closing date: 9th December
- Interviews likely: 16th/18th December
This is a special moment for us as the project continues to grow, and we’re excited to welcome someone who will help us take the next steps. If you or someone you know might be interested, you can find full details and apply here.
If you have any questions, please feel free to get in touch using the contact details in the job advert.
Get Inspired Section for Educators!
We've launched a brand-new section just for educators: Get Inspired. This is your go-to space for real stories, creative ideas, and practical support.
In this new section, you’ll find:
- Stories from Schools: Creative ways teachers have used our resources and telescopes
- Memorable Projects: Highlights from projects and outreach we’ve been part of
- Grants and Opportunities: If you are an educator in the UK or Ireland, you can find in this section some of the support you can get to kickstart your own ideas
Whether you're after fresh classroom inspiration or thinking of starting your own project, this space is built to celebrate educators like you.
If you’ve used our resources in your classroom, we’d love to hear from you! Share your story by filling in this form and sending it, along with any photos or media, to SchoolsObs@ljmu.ac.uk.
Winter Shutdown Notice!
As we approach the festive season, we’d like to let you know that The Schools’ Observatory will be on winter shutdown from 24th December to 4th January.
During this time, the website will remain fully operational, so you can still explore resources and make observations. However, staff support will not be available until we return in January.
If you have any feedback on our website or live observing sessions, we’d love to hear from you! Please email us at SchoolsObs@ljmu.ac.uk, and we’ll get back to you as soon as we can.
Thank you for your understanding, and we wish you a wonderful winter break!
Look to the Sky!
Plan your stargazing adventures with our December astronomy calendar! Download it to display at home or in the classroom. Get ready for an exciting month of celestial events, including meteor showers and conjunctions between the Moon and some of the Solar System’s most impressive planets. Don’t miss out on what the night sky has to offer!
Download and display December's astronomy calendar!
