When Wilsden Primary School in Bradford embarked on their Intensive ENTHUSE activities in November 2015, their aim was to raise the schools’ attainment across STEM subjects.
In order to do so, they needed the tools to plan meaningful links between literacy, topic, mathematics and science, to ensure greater coverage of science skills in each year group and to enable staff to plan a sequence of lessons within science.
The Intensive ENTHUSE bursary offered the school the opportunity to support staff in planning and delivering individual lessons, raising the confidence of teachers in their science subject knowledge, and to enhance the science curriculum to promote enjoyment and engagement in their pupils.
Staff underwent tailored CPD and twilight sessions to gather thoughts and ideas in order to evaluate the position of science within the school, and to create their vision for how science should be taught in their school.
According to Deputy Head teacher Gillian Wilson, the quality of science teaching has improved considerably since the start of 2016 because of the Intensive ENTHUSE bursary.
“Thank you so much for giving us this wonderful opportunity. It has significantly upskilled our staff, and given them the confidence to 'step out of the box' and to give our children positive and meaningful science learning experiences.”
The staff produced a visual guide to demonstrate how to make links between the key curriculum areas within an overarching topic and introduced an age related development of science skills document to support teaching of science skills.
All staff signed up to relevant CPD with STEM Learning, focusing on supporting the teachers in planning and delivering lessons. Some staff attended off-site CPD at the National STEM Learning Centre in York, who were then able to pass on their knowledge back at school.
“From the way we plan now (science playing a key part and linking into maths and English lessons) you can see the huge impact it has had on our data. Our children can clearly see the links now, plus all have the opportunity to embed the skills across the different curriculum areas. We are very, very proud.”
In 2014, the school did not meet the government’s floor standards, which are the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress in English and mathematics by the end of Year 6. The 2016 report showed vast improvement in the following areas:
- 2016 key stage 2 mathematics data had risen to 91% from below floor targets in 2014.
- 2016 key stage 2 writing data had risen to 87% from below floor targets in 2014.
- 2016 key stage 2 reading data was 77% (significantly above national and above floor targets).
“Also, our school recently appeared in the Yorkshire Post as being one of the highest attaining schools in the authority in 2016. Again, this has been down to how we have engaged and motivated our children through science teaching and the cross curricular links.”
With staff feeling more confident in planning and delivering science though use of lesson studies, the children now show more enthusiasm for their science topic, are encouraged to develop a lively and enquiring mind, and have developed the ability to question and discuss rationally, and apply themselves to tasks and skills as they strive to reach their full potential in all aspects of school life.
The deadline to apply for this year's round of Intensive ENTHUSE bursaries is 10am on 5 May 2017.