Sciences

In a world dominated by challenges; climate change, the energy crisis, improving health and wellbeing and the need for new materials to name but a few, it is not surprising that the science department focuses on developing the skills needed to rise to them.

Our children love the practical approach taken during our lessons and our annual celebration of British Science Week.  In the words of the late Professor Stephen Hawking “Scientists have become the bearers of the torch of discovery in our quest for knowledge”.

However, he also made the point that,

"Intelligence is the ability to adapt to change"

and so we work hard to provide practical science lessons that promote deep thinking and feature challenge led activities.



Our children use their skills and knowledge to produce inks from natural ingredients to write a message during the Message in a Bottle Challenge; establish patterns in the reactivity of metals using chemical reactions; explore how pressure in fluids is used in hydraulic systems; investigate how effective some methods are in controlling microbial growth and use ray diagrams to show why a swimming pool is always deeper than it looks. They design materials for hiking jackets to maintain body temperature for the longest period; investigate the conditions which allow digestive enzymes to work best and investigate the factors that affect an objects motion.  

They complete a Growers’ Challenge to design a greenhouse to provide the correct conditions for plant growth in a range of species. They explore the properties of the elements of the periodic table and the compounds that they form when they react together. They answer the question of why stiletto heels damage floors and trainers do not? They all enjoy the whoosh bottle demonstrating the products of combustion and use their planning and designing skills to solve the challenge of surviving on Joule Island.

These are just some examples of the rich learning environment that we are continuing to develop.  Science at All Hallows really does focus on challenge as well as discovery.