The author, a reception/year 1 teacher at Maesycwmmer Primary School in South Wales, considers the holistic learning experience and his reflections on grouping and its impact. He says if primary science practitioners want science to be open and available to all, they need to think about how they make the subject accessible and subsequently…

There are arguably advantages to adopting a cross-curricular approach to planning, teaching and learning. This approach often works well for incorporating scientific skills and the wider perspectives of geography, technology and maths. It can help children to develop and consolidate their understanding through practical application and gives them…

The atom is science's biggest idea! And now it is known that even children from 4 years of age can grasp it, creating science education's biggest worldwide opportunity. Dr. Jenny Donovan and Dr. Carole Haeusler of the University of Southern Queensland conducted multiple studies to show that primary-age children, mostly aged 7-9 years in their…

Since the Primary Science Teaching Trust (PSTT) launched its Cutting-edge Science in Primary Schools Project a little over a year ago, the authors have written 30 "I bet you didn't know…" articles for primary teachers and children. Accompanying teacher guides describe related activities and investigations that children can carry out in…

The logistics of finding and inviting STEM professionals (volunteers from science-based industries, universities, etc.) into the classroom can appear daunting, combined with fact-handing over control of some of the lesson. So, do the benefits make the effort worthwhile? In this article, the author describes the impact that STEM professionals could…

In this article, the author aims to open up thinking about a frequently used term -- disadvantage -- and to consider it in relation to the primary science classroom teaching and learning experiences. With the support of education charities such as the Comino Foundation and the SHINE Trust, the author discusses how her team has been exploring the…

This is the third special issue of "Primary Science," and it is one that offers primary school teachers an insight into an initiative that does wonders for primary science leadership, learning, and teaching -- the Primary Science Quality Mark (PSQM). Hub leaders are the heart and expertise of PSQM, working with groups of local science…

The TAPS pyramid was developed in late 2014 and has been available as a download on the Primary Science Teaching Trust (PSTT) website since August 2015. But where has it gone since then? Who is using it? And how is it being used in schools to change primary science assessment practice? This article attempts to answer these questions with data from…

The authors outline some of the ways in which they teach student teachers to think about the challenges of abstract concepts in science. They ask the student teachers to think about abstract ideas in a non-science context first, and find they are enabled to discuss and engage (and then later apply) their thinking better. The authors think that…

Some teachers are confident in teaching science and some feel that they are less so. The author sees her role as Science Leader as being to support, engage and inspire staff to deliver an exciting curriculum that gets children to ask questions, build confidence to have a go…and have a go again. In this article, the author talks about using…

From the beginning of the September 2020 school year, in an effort to engage children in school life again after a lengthy absence due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Rebecca Towner-Yates' school has adopted a 'quest' approach to learning. The concept has its roots firmly embedded in Dorothy Heathcote's 'Mantle of the Expert' (MoE) (Heathcote and…

As the conversation across the country progresses towards diversity and decolonisation of the curriculum, it is important to consider the many ways of demonstrating recognition of diversity. At Harris Garrard Academy in southeast London, educators have gone to great lengths to increase the visibility of race and ethnicity in the curriculum,…

The lack of diversity in some areas very much ties in with the data on school staff promotions and moving into senior positions. The United Kingdom government's schools workforce data shows black and Asian people are underrepresented in the teaching workforce. According to recent figures covering state schools in England: Just 4.7% of teachers in…

There is a tradition in primary classes of using rich authentic activities to teach science. The idea of pupils learning science through experiment and discovery is appealing. But this is not how children are taught in other subjects. When children learn to read, there are tiny steps, mastering each one before moving onto more challenging books.…

By placing the Focused Assessment approach within the TAPS pyramid framework, schools are beginning to find a number of ways in which learning in science can be enhanced for pupils. The quotations in this article provide examples of the ways in which science subject leaders (SSL) describe the impact of TAPS on their pupils.