Partnership Working – Bishopbriggs Cluster Primary Secondary Science Working Party

Aims• To improve learning and teaching in Science• To work together on addressing Curriculum for Excellence

Sciences• To audit current practice and plan for change • To share thinking on: unpacking the experiences and

outcomes, principles and practices of science, links to other subjects and possible contexts for learning

• To provide teachers with flexible programmes of work which can be used to meet Curriculum for Excellence Science outcomes.

The Process• Each school brought examples of their current programmes to

share• Examples of teaching and learning in relation to sciences was

shared• It was decided to collaborate on a shared approach across the

cluster and a topic based approach which made use of contexts for learning was favoured

• The group evaluated various programmes of work and decided on one which would be used in all primary schools in the cluster

• The secondary staff evaluated and purchased a new resource• The nursery teacher evaluated current practice in Science against

the Curriculum for Excellence Science outcomes.

A glow group was created so that the cluster could share plans, resources and ideas and could discuss issues easily

AuditingThe group worked in partnership across the cluster to audit current practice

and help plan for change.They considered areas such as:• Knowledge and understanding of concepts• Possible contexts for learning which would allow for links across learning

and would help to develop areas that are the responsibility of all• The development of skills, including specifically science related ones

AuditingThe Science programmes chosen by the group were audited against Curriculum for Excellence Science outcomes and recorded on a chart.

Early yearsEarly years staff used the Curriculum for Excellence toolkit to help them:• Unpack the new experiences and outcomes• Identify experiences and learning opportunities which would help

develop emerging science knowledge and skills at Early Level.

Primary staff

It was decided that the Glasgow Science packs would be a good basis for a topic approach.

They were favoured because:• they linked science with technologies and social subjects• they had good notes to help teachers with conceptual understanding• These were seen as a starting point from which teachers could explore

other contexts e.g. one school chose to use the context of the South Pacific to carry out an interdisciplinary topic relating to biodiversity and interdependence at second level

Primary • A grid was created to show primary one to seven suggested topics and the areas of Science that each covered.

• An example planner was provided for each Science topic.

Primary • Learning outcomes related to the experiences and outcomes and

the principles and practices were outlined• Useful resources and ideas for learning activities were given• Space was given to allow teachers to plan different contexts,

suggest other approaches/resources they had used

Secondary Staff• Worked with primary colleagues to unpack the experiences

and outcomes• Negotiated areas where they could help with teaching and

learning relating to areas of science that were new to primary at second level e.g. “I have contributed to investigations into the role of microorganisms in producing and breaking down some materials” SCN 2-13a

• Planned interesting contexts for learning which combined areas of science and enhanced opportunities to promote literacy, numeracy and health and wellbeing

• Offered Primary 7 pupils opportunities to visit and work in the Secondary Science labs.

To find out more you could contactPrimary

syeoman@woodhill.e-dunbarton.sch.uk

dhedley@balmuildy.e-dunbarton.sch.uk

Secondary

kmartyn@bishopbriggs.e-dunbarton.sch.uk (Biology)

fgallagher@bishopbriggs.e-dunbarton.sch.uk (Chemistry)

ryoung@bishopbriggs.e-dunbarton.sch.uk (Physics)