VIEW FROM THE CLASSROOM


VIEWFROMTHE CLASSROOM


Embracing science in primary schools


prim ary scho ols


I


n our regular View fromthe classroom feature thismonth, we hear fromCris Waters, Science Lead


teacher at Greenb and Year 5 class


Primary School in


South Liverpool,who looks at science in primary schools and tells us how


Greenbank s exciting Greenbank’s exciting’


newapproach to the subject is supporting STEM(science, technology, engineering and mathematics) learning.


new approach to the subject is supporting STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) learning.


Te l us about you and your schoolTell us about you and your schooll Greenbank is a culturally mixed community primary school based inMossley Hill, South Liverpool.We have over 450 pupils and operate a two-form entry system for children aged 3-11 years. Our head teacher is DebraWrigley who has been at the school for 12 years.


environment where The school’s aim


all children can achieve their is to provide a learning


n our regular View from the classroom feature this month, we hear from Cris Waters, Science Lead and Year 5 class teacher at Greenbank Primary School in South Liverpool, who looks at science in primary schools and tells us how


ank


Embracing science in ry


highest potential and to foster a climate where all children, regardless of class, race, gender or disability feel secure and can grow in confidence and self-esteem.


The school also delivers Initial Teacher Training through the School Direct programme, in partnership with Liverpool Hope University. I have been at the school for four years and teach Year Five, as well as being the Scienc e Manager .


What is your viewof sciencewithin primary schools?


What is your view of science within primary schools?


Over the years, there seems to have been less emphasis on the teaching of science in primary schools. According to a study in 2015 by The Confederation of British Industry, it was found that a third of schools were not providing the recommended two hours of teaching a week, with a third of teachers lacking confidence when it came to teaching the subj


bject.


In some respects, I understand why teachers may lack confidence in teachi especially the practical element which can be daunting if you have a large class or resources are limited. However, if we do not provide interesting and stimulating science lessons we are failing to encourage the younger generation to become scientists or engineers. Fortunately, STEMlearning has brought a bigger focus on the subj


ng science primary


bject and


this will hopefully inspire more schools and their pupils to embrace the subject.


What obstacles have you faced teaching science at Greenbank Primary


ry School?


What obstacles have you faced teaching science at Greenbank Primary School?


I always enjoyed science when I was at school and have found teaching it to be great fun, but having limited resources made it challenging to teach some scientific concepts and skills.


Occasionally we would show informative videos to demonstrate investigations that could not be undertaken in the classroom, but it made it difficult to capture the children’s interest and


16 www www.education-today.co.uk.co.uk December 2017 2017


keeping pupils focused was sometimes difficult as there isn’t the opportunity to tailor videos to the children’s differing needs.


Therefore, I sometimes felt the children’s


understanding was often restricted because they weren’t able to carry out enough practical experiments. In this subj


bject pupils really do


achieve more and deepen their understanding with hands-on learning .


What did you do to solve the problem?i Researching the teaching of science in primary schools, our headteacher came across Empiribox and heard about how it was used to teach science in primary schools. Empiribox essentially provides a science lesson in a box, covering


What d d you do to solve the problem?


Stage One and Two modules in biology,


chemistry and physics for Key .Wanting to find out more


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