A Wales teacher repurposes the outline of the Port Talbot steelworks to explain emissions, careers, and sustainability to pupils whose families worked in the industry
In a school overlooking the former industrial skyline of Port Talbot, a chemistry teacher has found a simple visual that brings abstract science into the students’ everyday experience. At Ysgol Brombil, the dark outline of the old blast furnaces forms the backdrop to lessons on emissions, energy and the chemistry behind steelmaking.
Many pupils have relatives who worked at the steelworks, and that family connection makes classroom discussions immediately relevant rather than theoretical.
The approach is the work of Eurig Thomas, the school’s deputy head and a chemistry teacher with nearly three decades in the classroom.
Rather than rely solely on textbook diagrams, he sketches the familiar silhouette and overlays it with the chemical processes it hosted, helping learners map the visible ruins to the science they study. The technique is designed to spark curiosity and to show how local history links to global issues such as sustainability and air quality.
Using the local landscape as a teaching resource
Eurig says the idea came naturally when he first saw the furnaces from the chemistry lab window and realised students would instantly recognise the shapes he needed to teach. He draws the simplified schematic students would normally see in books and points to the real structure beyond the glass, making a direct connection between theory and the physical world. This method helps students ask questions about the actual workplace of family members, the skills required there and the wider economic impact of its closure.
Lessons extend beyond reaction equations to cover social consequences: the effect on the local job market, community change, and the gravity of unemployment. Eurig also uses the site to discuss air quality: he explains that the steelworks had been responsible for a significant share of national emissions—around 2% of the country’s carbon dioxide output—and that local air quality has measurably improved since the furnaces stopped operating. By tying classroom content to visible evidence, he aims to make the science both accessible and emotionally meaningful.
Bringing sustainability and careers into chemistry lessons
For Eurig, teaching chemistry now must include sustainability and the development of green skills. He argues these topics are central to how technologies will be designed and how economies will evolve, so they should be integrated into everyday learning rather than treated as add-ons. By moving from basic chemical principles to discussions about alternative energy, CO₂ reduction and future job opportunities, pupils gain a sense of purpose: chemistry becomes a tool to understand how communities change and how they can participate in shaping a greener future.
The classroom also becomes a place to counter misinformation, particularly online. Eurig stresses that students need reliable explanations so they can evaluate claims about climate, emissions and new technologies. Making lessons local and practical helps pupils see why national decisions are made and how choices about industry and energy affect their own lives and prospects.
What the Royal Society of Chemistry found
The teacher’s work has been highlighted in a report by the Royal Society of Chemistry, which used his lessons as an example of how to make sustainability topics meaningful. The report notes worrying trends: fewer students are choosing chemistry for GCSE and A-level, while employers increasingly seek workers with green skills. In fact, demand for those skills in chemistry-related roles is estimated to be about eight times higher than in the wider UK workforce. The RSC flagged that only around half of young people learn about sustainability in chemistry through contexts that feel relevant to them.
Data on student uptake and skills demand
The RSC’s analysis highlights two connected problems: declining student numbers in formal chemistry courses and a rising need for environmental and sustainability expertise in the workforce. That mismatch means classrooms must evolve to show the practical applications of chemical science. Examples like Eurig’s—using the tangible outline of a local steelworks to discuss emissions and jobs—illustrate how schools can bridge the gap between education and employer needs.
Why context matters, and what educators recommend
Annette Farrell, education policy programme manager at the Royal Society of Chemistry, emphasises that the chemical sciences are central to tackling major sustainability challenges. From designing recyclable materials to preventing pollution and developing low-carbon technologies, chemistry plays a leading role. The RSC encourages educators to embed real-world contexts into lessons so pupils understand both the science and its societal implications, a strategy exemplified by the Port Talbot teaching approach.
As schools seek to inspire the next generation of scientists and informed citizens, local, tangible examples can be powerful catalysts. Eurig hopes his lessons will prompt more pupils to consider studying chemistry and other STEM subjects, helping to fill future roles that require environmental awareness and technical knowledge. By showing how a familiar skyline connects to chemistry and careers, his work demonstrates the value of teaching that reaches beyond the textbook.
