Teaching Science

The goal of science education is not knowledge of a body of facts and theories but a progression towards key ideas which enable understanding of events and phenomena of relevance to students’ lives.

“Where science has a good profile within the school as a result of a dedicated leadership, and where staff are expected to teach exciting, investigative science with access to high-quality expertise, children are likely to enjoy learning the subject.” This quote originates from the OFSTED (Office of Standards in Education) in the UK and provides the guidelines for how science will be taught at POWIIS Primary.

In the Early Years and in Year 1 and 2, science will be taught by the class teacher. However, it is recognised that pupils engage most with practical science lessons that develop their learning through enquiry, the teaching of which demands excellent pedagogical science skills, including knowing how to connect science to the wider world. Therefore there will be a specialist science teacher at the school who will inspire and excite the pupils in Years 3, 4, 5 and 6 and also guide colleagues on how to teach the younger children in a practical, exciting and relevant manner.

Science teaches children to form their own opinions, rather than taking those of others for granted. It helps children to think about what could happen before they do it, to create a hypothesis in their mind. Then children learn that not everything works first time, you sometimes have to work out what went wrong and how to fix it. Science helps answer all those questions about the way the world works like, ‘Why is the sky blue?’ It can spark ideas in children’s minds that they too, may one day be capable of creating solutions to big problems such as reducing poverty through the improvement of seed genetics to grow stronger crops.

When we look at science and the discoveries that have been made, we’ve only scratched the surface and the future will need scientific understanding in our youngsters in order to continue to develop.

Jobs in renewable energies are increasing rapidly and there is always going to be the study of different habitats as well as the increase in technology in renewable energies. Medical research is also going to escalate with future scientists building on today’s scientists ‘shoulders’ in the search of cures for diseases.

It is essential that our pupils are enthused by science and it instils a sense of intrigue in them. We hope that as they progress through their education at POWIIS Primary they use opportunities to contribute to scientific research and possibly become scientists of the future.