Aim

The Science Department aims to stimulate and excite pupils' curiosity and their interest in, and knowledge of, phenomena and events of the world around them. Through investigative work and effective teaching methods pupils will be helped to understand major scientific ideas.

Summary

The Science department aims to take pupils through a structured curriculum that offers them every opportunity to develop a thorough understanding of scientific ideas, processes and skills and relate these to everyday experiences; to learn about ways of thinking and of finding out about and communicating ideas; and to explore values and attitudes through science. The core skills of Literacy, Numeracy and ICT are reinforced, developed and extended through the Science curriculum.

In years 3 and 4 our pupils are enthused in science by their experienced class teachers. From Year 5 the children are taught by specialist Science teachers and from Year 6 upwards they are taught in our dedicated Science laboratories, giving them the opportunity to familiarise themselves with more sophisticated Science apparatus and methods.

Science is fundamentally a way of learning so science activities are aimed at developing children’s intellectual and practical skills thus empowering them to explore and investigate the world around them. As a Department we aim to stimulate a child’s curiosity in finding out why things happen in the way they do, to teach methods of enquiry and investigation and to stimulate creative thought. Pupils learn to ask scientific questions and begin to appreciate the way in which science will affect the future on a personal, national, and global level.

We recognise that in all classes pupils have a wide range of scientific abilities, and we try to ensure that we provide suitable learning opportunities for all children by matching the challenge of the task to the ability of the child.

During these years we build upon the work done in the junior part of school. All three scientific disciplines are taught: Biology, Chemistry and Physics. These are taught on a rolling topic programme to enable the children to concentrate on one discipline at a time while giving them the breadth of knowledge that they need. In Senior Prep our main aim is to develop the potential of each and every pupil, in preparation for the Common Entrance examination and for other challenges that lie ahead as they move to their senior schools.

Our facilities and equipment allow us to go beyond the confines of the National Curriculum and we also include many trips and in-school activities which support and augment the work done in class. For example, recent out-of-school trips include:

• Jimmy’s farm [Year 3]
• Kew gardens [Year 4]
• Colchester Zoo [Year 5]
• Maple farm [Year 6]
• Natural History and Science Museums and Sizewell Nuclear power plant [Year 7]

In-school activities are frequent and varied. For example:

• Yearly Science Week with visiting speakers and demonstrators such as ‘The Bug Man’, Jenny’s Ark, Ian B Dunne show on Science-the best bits.

• Hatching chicken eggs.

• Visits to Framlingham College for science afternoons and visits from the college staff do so activities such as Owl Pellet dissection.

Community and environmental responsibility is encouraged, for example with our school-wide paper recycling system. The children also learn to care for animals such as the school fish and the chicks that are hatched here during Science week. Year 5 pupils also have the job of growing plants for, and the maintenance of the school greenhouse and vegetable patch.

This gives just a very brief summary of some of the things we do in the Science department. There’s a lot going in Science at Brandeston Hall, providing an exciting and stimulating learning environment for all.