Philosophy is concerned with fundamental questions about knowledge, truth, reality, experience, justice and what is right and wrong. In this article, the authors discuss how philosophy and science can be taught together in the primary classroom.

Children often have very stereotyped views of science and scientists, far removed from their own lives. Getting children to 'become' scientists and feel that they are actually "doing" science, being involved in something pertinent to them and their environment, is a goal of modern science teaching. This article aims to illustrate how…

The authors describe their resources for raising awareness and encouraging positive water behaviours among young children. The DRY (Drought Risk and You) project brought together a multidisciplinary team to create a research-informed storybook and teachers' notes for 7- to 11-year-olds. This article takes a brief look at the book and reflects on…

It can be hugely beneficial for teachers to 'buy in' an expert for a day in an area that they are focusing on. Children are inspired by a special visitor and it can provide a new perspective to a topic and invigorate and extend learning. The variety of workshops and visitors available is astonishing. Students can be transported to outer space or…

The author writes about taking on the role of Science Coordinator, changing expectations, and raising the profile of science in her school.

Primary practitioners are tasked with the simultaneously exciting and daunting task of delivering a breadth of curriculum subjects to primary-age children. This makes the choice of profession a varied and engaging vocation in which no day is the same as the one before. When looking ahead at science medium-term planning, it may seem like a…

As schools in England re-open their doors and welcome children back in September 2020 after the COVID-19 lockdown, what can, and should, primary science look like in the 'new normal'? If timetables are constricted to adhere to the demands of social distancing, innovative practical science enquiry will be needed. Even if they are not, the…

Teachers from Kates Hill Primary School describe uniting the school in a vision for science and raising the profile of science through enrichment by using Explorify.

In this article, Rebecca Riley uses drama and role-play to provide a context for science learning and teach about STEM careers. The article discusses how using a meaningful text with a stimulating story and relatable characters allows children to become fully immersed in a narrative. By using the drama-based teaching approaches that teachers…

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). In this article, Clare Warren, PSQM senior hub leader, explains why PSQM included…

In many schools following the National Curriculum for England the teaching of science has been overshadowed by the demands of literacy and numeracy, with the focus on statutory testing (SATs) and emphasis on national targets. This has often led to increasing concerns around teachers' subject knowledge, the sapping of teacher confidence and…

The author created a project aimed to develop and implement the assessment of working scientifically (WS) skills at Victoria Park Primary School. The author had previously identified a gap in the curriculum coverage and assessment of WS skills and his goal was to address the lack of provision for assessing children's WS skills and raise the…

The author has spent almost all his life working in and enthusing about primary science. From being a class teacher in the 1980s, to running Curioxity, a small hands-on science centre in Oxford, to lecturing trainee primary teachers at Oxford Brookes University and finally working with Science Oxford to help create their wonderful new Science…

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). In this article, Shaun Wingrove describes the transformation from dull to shiny science…

Ken Robinson (2006) once suggested that schools kill creativity and it is argued that in England, since the introduction of the most recent iteration of the National Curriculum (2013), creative subjects are in danger of being marginalised in favour of spending time preparing for high-stakes testing in maths and English. Meet Little Inventors! It…