Primary Science At Nadeen 2023-2024 by Miss Sarah
2023 is truly an exciting year for Nadeen School, we have a brand new campus with brand new facilities. It holds thousands of possibilities and opportunities for our students. It is an extra exciting year for me as Science Subject Lead. Coinciding with this move to Dilmunia, we are starting a new science curriculum, with science being stand-alone on the timetable each week. We also have the exciting opportunity to get our primary students in real-life science labs!
“Science is the process that takes us from confusion to understanding.”
– Brian Greene
What is my role?
Firstly, my name is Miss Sarah and I am starting my sixth year at Nadeen School. I have been Primary Science Lead for four years and I am starting my fifth year in this role. It is something I am truly passionate about and have enjoyed this role thoroughly since taking it over from Mr Adam.
My role as Science Lead is to support staff with their planning and assessment strategies in order to drive academic achievement in science. I am also there to support staff to encourage students to develop a love for scientific inquiry. I monitor curriculum coverage and provide staff with opportunities to upskill themselves through relevant and continuous professional development opportunities. I organise events related to science such as the yearly Science Fair. This year I am also looking to build a strong partnership with the secondary science department.
“The process of scientific discovery is, in effect, a continual flight from wonder.”
– Albert Einstein
Priorities for 2023-2024
As the subject lead, I have focused priorities for the development of science this year. Firstly, science is to become a stand-alone subject each week on the timetable. This will be two lessons each week from year 1 to year 6. I aim to embed the use of the Cambridge Primary Science curriculum for teaching and assessment. We are focusing on in-depth collaborative planning in our teams and making the most of our shared spaces. We are going to focus on inquiry-based learning and therefore reducing teacher talk so there is more student-led learning opportunities. We want to make Science more hands-on and practical. We will make use of the new building facilities, such as food tech rooms and science labs as we build a positive relationship with Mr Phil the Science teacher in Years 7 to 9.
Curriculum Update
This year in science we have moved to the Cambridge Primary Science Curriculum. This is a fantastic resource that promotes lifelong curiosity, helps students seek scientific explanations and focuses on the practical skills of knowledge and understanding. It is a holistic approach to teaching and learning with clearly sequenced strands- biology, chemistry, physics, earth and space, thinking and working scientifically. As Cambridge Science is now a through-school curriculum, children all the way from year 1 to year 9 will have a clear progression of learning across all these stands as they progress through the school.
The Nadeen Science Fair 2024 will be our biggest Science event yet! I am looking forward to seeing the excitement build for this year’s house competition in May.
I hope this year allows your children to develop a love of science and spark their curiosity. If you have any questions regarding science in primary at Nadeen please don’t hesitate to contact me on s.scanlon@nadeenschool.com
