Science in primary

[glesgal]

What are everyone's experience of science in primary school. DD had it a few years back and DS is about to get it in primary 7 next year. DD found it boring but it wasn't delivered very well. DS otoh is very scientifically minded so he should enjoy it. Basic stuff of course, with the odd trip eg. Science Centre in Glasgow.

Very often it is largely untouched until secondary.

[montymum]

do you mean they only do Science in some year groups!? At our school science is taught in every primary class for about 2 hours every week it is a core subject after all (Think this is the norm in most English Primary schools). From Year 1 children are encouraged to carry out their own investigations and all areas of science are covered- forces, natural science, biology, electricity, materials etc

[Feenie]

It's a core subject - like Maths, English, ICT and RE. It has to be covered extensively in primary school, in at least one session a week. It was dropped from SATS a couple of years ago, but it is still tested in a random selection of primary schools in something called sampling tests, to check the standards of teaching. My ds's own school was one of them this year.

You surely can't be talking about a state school then?

[Feenie]

Ah - you aren't in England or Wales then?

I had no idea Science wasn't covered in primary schools in Scotland.

[MmeBlueberry]

I am not particularly impressed with primary science schemes. They are usually designed to take place in normal classrooms with everyday equipment, and very shallow. They over emphasise simple investigations and completely miss out on awe and wonder.

I use a prep school scheme with my Y5 and 6 pupils - in a lab, with scientific equipment. The first thing I do with year 5 is give them their bunsen burner licence - they are so excited by this and run to science lessons after that.

[Feenie]

Cool!

[anthonytrollopesrevenge]

My DS finds primary science boring. Looking at what they do it does seem dull. Personally can't see the point of doing much science until you are old enough to do interesting experiments - think the idea of yr 5s with bunsens is great. Sadly no such equipment in our state primary but lots of stuff about pushes and pulls with little scientific content. The one thing the school do well and which DS likes is nature walks and categorising the stuff they find in pools and ponds and fields using keys. This seems well done, it's when they water down the physics that I lose patience with it.

[MmeBlueberry]

I agree, atr.

I think the main focus on junior science should be to have fun, and basically play with equipment to see what happens, rather that try to understand why.

There are some good topics that are useful at a young age, but most of it can wait until they are older, IMO.

[Bronte]

I think all science worksheets should be banned in primary schools.
Science is about doing, watching, exploring, asking questions etc.
I agree about the nature walks. I have great memories of these when I was at infant school some 40 years ago.
I don't think many children now will remember much of what they did.

[Bronte]

Oh ...and to my knowledge Science is NOT a core subject anymore.

[mrz]

We have a state of the art £2 million Science Learning Centre (one on 9 in England)

[MmeBlueberry]

Science for me at primary school (35 - 40) years ago was basically 'nature' and a bit of health/hygiene. There might have been something to do with space, and rocks (but that was probably more to do with geography). We did absolutely no physics or chemistry.

I can remember planting seeds and measuring the height of new plant - that's about it!

[Feenie]

Yes, it is.

Link

[Feenie]

Perhaps you are confusing it with the new, very expensive, quickly binned curriculum, which intended to make it a non-core subject on the recommendation of the Rose Report.

[mrz]

We had a physicist working with KS2 children before half term

[mrz]

Science was due to be replaced by ICT as a core subject but Mr Gove scrapped that plan

[Feenie]

We try to include a practical element to every Science lesson (would love bunsen burners though!) and avoid worksheets. We've just finished Science and Nature week which was fantastic.

[LawrieMarlow]

DS is in Year 2 and told me recently his favourite lesson is Science :) The amount that he learns compared with what I remember from when I was at Primary School is amazing.

No bunsen burners yet though

[LawrieMarlow]

He did say it was his favourite because it has bits of everything in it, which I liked hearing.

[Bronte]

Thanks for the clarification.

[mrz]

We use burners like these

[Feenie]

I've never seen those, mrz, thanks - will point our Science coordinator in their direction.

[mrz]

We pay an annual fee to the Science Learning Centre and they provide us with a class kit of resources for the science focus to use in school. In addition we get access to the university expertise to work with staff in school. It might be worth investigating if one is near you.

www.sciencelearningcentres.org.uk/centres/national

[handsomeharry]

Scotland here. DC do one or two science based topics a year.

Certainly in this local authority that would be the case in all schools in this area.

Are you Glasgow OP? I am surprised to hear that your DC's school only 'does' science in certain years. I have never heard of that arrangement before.

[Feenie]

Thanks again, mrz - will investigate.