Let Teachers SHINE Winner 2026: Angelika Bowmer – Mini Scientists’ Lab
A visionary new project aims to ensure disadvantaged children have the vocabulary and facts they need to succeed in primary science, and beyond.
Angelika Bowmer, primary science Lead Practitioner at North Tyneside Learning Trust, has been awarded a £25,000 Let Teachers SHINE grant to develop her project, Mini Scientists’ Lab.
A digital, game-based primary science app, Mini Scientists’ Lab will help children master key scientific vocabulary and knowledge through playful lab-themed activities.
Primary science often lacks the daily practice seen in other subjects like English and maths, leaving many pupils with large gaps in their knowledge. This matters because when they arrive at secondary school unprepared, it makes it harder for disadvantaged students to keep up with the curriculum.
“Mini Scientists’ Lab is all about improving outcomes for disadvantaged pupils because it focuses on scientific vocabulary, recall and retention of facts to enable children to succeed in primary science lessons,” explained Angelika.
Pupils will earn points by answering questions, unlocking virtual experiments, potions, and hybrid plant creation.
Angelika’s project aims to apply to science the methods of repetitive practice often found in maths and English that help students to recall information.
Mini Scientists’ Lab seeks to identify and close knowledge gaps in science before they become barriers to success in secondary education. As Angelika explained: “Without targeted intervention, these gaps widen over time, limiting pupils’ readiness for KS3 science and science-related pathways.”
By transforming vocabulary practice into an engaging adventure, children will learn the curriculum content they need to understand important scientific concepts, giving them a better foundation for studying science in secondary school.
“I’ve observed that children struggle to retain scientific vocabulary and key knowledge across their primary journey,” said Angelika. “This gap is particularly significant for pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds, who often have fewer opportunities to revisit or rehearse scientific concepts outside school.”
Mini Scientists’ Lab is unique because it combines daily repetition in primary science with an adaptive platform that tailors to the needs of each child, allowing them to improve specific areas of their learning.
“I really wanted to create a platform where the system gets to learn the child in such a way that it can really reinforce all those facts and vocabulary, and provide feedback for the teacher that shows exactly where the children are at – allowing for a tailored approach where pupils can be pushed to particular questions to target their specific knowledge gaps.”
To launch the project, Angelika intends to model using the app in classrooms so teachers can see and experience it firsthand. “My idea is to go into six schools in our Trust with the highest pupil premium rate, and launch it there,” she said.
In the long-term, Angelika hopes her project will become a tailored resource for science teachers “who are so overloaded, who are managing and balancing so much”, to use effectively with their students.
Speaking about winning the Let Teachers SHINE award, Angelika remarked: “it’s just amazing that the opportunity is there, that there is a huge community and charity that is willing to back you when you’ve got an idea. I feel like I’ve been adopted by an amazing family!”