How Wendover pupils take part in this national science event
Wendover Online School’s experienced science teachers teach pupils from primary age right through to GCSE and A level, providing a carefully thought-out programme that follows the National Curriculum but also allows time to explore the broader ways in which science affects our lives and the world around us.
Dan Gregory is the Science Lead teacher for Wendover Online School. In this blog, he explains how younger Wendover pupils took part in Science Week 2023.
Science in the curriculum
At Wendover, pupils have a set number of science lessons timetabled each week, depending on their age and course of study. Science teachers follow a Scheme of Work which structures lessons around the requirements of the curriculum, encouraging our online pupils “to understand how science can be used to explain what is occurring, predict how things will behave, and analyse causes.” (from the National Curriculum for Science)
Timetabled Science classes for each Key Stage include a range of practical experiments, which pupils are able to perform either at home under online supervision, or using digital tools such as virtual laboratories where they can upload and use their own data.
“We also provide opportunities to explore Chemistry, Physics and Biology in cross-curricular activities, and across age groups,” says Dan. “National events such as Science Week allow pupils across the school to get involved in a joint programme, with projects differentiated to provide challenge and interest to each age group.”
Science Week
Science Week has become an annual event for Wendover, when Dan seizes the opportunity to take science lessons outside the planned Scheme of Work for the week, instead using a single idea to demonstrate how Chemistry, Physics and Biology really do affect us all.
The British Science Association suggests a theme for British Science Week – this year it was ‘Connections’. In Dan’s thoughtful hands, this became a way to connect pupils to each other and to their environment.
Connecting through weather
Wendover students live in many different parts of the world – moving around with their parents’ jobs, for holidays, or even to follow their own sporting dreams. But the weather systems which affect them locally are driven by global elements.
For Primary age children, the weather provided an excellent opportunity to look at the world around them and then do an experiment to demonstrate change.
“We asked our pupils to find a 5-day forecast for where they live, then create and star in a weather report which they would present to the class,” reports Dan. “They enjoyed hearing about the contrasting weather worldwide, and it gave them an insight into different ways of life.”
Building a barometer
Dan knows that practical experiments can be fascinating for students, and help reinforce the concepts under discussion. “None of the younger pupils had seen a barometer before, so it was interesting for them to understand how changes in pressure are connected to the weather and can be seen through a simple experiment.”
As with all practical lessons at Wendover, staff sent a list of supplies and instructions in advance so that pupils would have everything to hand. The barometers were constructed under supervision through the school’s secure online environment and results from places such as Norway, Thailand and Spain were shared through the week.
Connecting with the Environment
This Science Week project also gave older students up to KS4 the chance to research the wider implications of weather and climate change. They looked at how human activities such as transport, construction, burning fuel and agriculture could affect the weather, and what steps could be taken to mitigate the impact on our climate.
“We ran a competition to create a poster showing the connections between human actions and climate change, and older pupils put together a case study on Antarctica, looking at how this has changed and the various impacts,” enthuses Dan. “It was great to be able to show more senior pupils the deep connections between their research into the local climate, and
the global impact of changes.”
Connections across the school
Shared topics like this in Science Week give pupils the chance to connect with fellow pupils in different age groups and make connections by applying their knowledge to other subjects.
By using a variety of methods to show their research, pupils develop their skills in areas such as English and Art and learn how to research and write a case study that brings together elements of Chemistry, Physics and Biology, as well as broader subjects.
Stimulating and practical science lessons from Wendover
Dan is confident that as an online school, Wendover delivers one-to-one or small-group science lessons more effectively than can be achieved in a busy mainstream classroom.
“As Science Lead I work hard to ensure that pupils at every level of our online school are excited by the sciences and want to understand more. We take every opportunity to expand their experience and unlock an interest in how science shapes their world: and if they show an aptitude or want to learn more, we are delighted to teach them right up until A level.”
If you’d like to find out more about our online education, please contact us on +44 1604 213 477 or email on enquiries@wendoverschool.com. Alternatively, download our Prospectus.
