The mission over the past 15 years at Cambridge has been to raise the profile and enjoyment of chemistry amongst students. However, having recently hosted its second annual reception for the very top students who entered this year's Cambridge Chemistry Challenge written paper, one thing was quite striking; despite the wide range of schools and…

Part of the School of Physical Sciences mission and plan is to deliver an effective outreach programme to the community and South East regions to stimulate interest, both in school pupils and the general public, in science. To do this, it offers many activities that are school-based and aimed at students in Key stages 3, 4 and 5 (ages 11-18).…

In many UK secondary schools, pupils, parents and teachers have limited knowledge about careers available through studying Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) subjects and the progression pathways to these careers. Pupils need confidence that studying science will lead them to something useful and of value to them in the…

In the UK, practical work is often seen by teachers as central to both the appeal and effectiveness of science education. Practical work is frequently used in the teaching of science in English secondary schools. One of the reasons for this is that many science teachers see practical work as an essential part of what it "means" to be "a science…

In January, the author gave a talk at the ASE Annual Conference on future trends in secondary science education. The honour of being asked was soon eclipsed by a sense of trepidation; could future trends be based on past performance? Within the area of secondary science, the author identified seven challenges for the immediate future. (Contains 2…

Within the last ten years, there have been international concerns about school science education, in particular in many rich, highly developed countries where there is a decline in the recruitment of students to science and technology. These concerns relate particularly to the uptake of physical sciences, gender differences and students'…

Making connections between subjects to enhance learning and demonstrate relevance and application is not new, especially in primary education. Teaching through topics or themes has swung in and out of fashion and the use of literacy, numeracy and ICT skills across the curriculum is embedded in many schemes of work. However, the proposed New…

This article describes LabSkills, a revolutionary teaching tool to improve practical science in schools. LabSkills offers the chance to help improve the exposure that the average Key Stage 5 (age 16-19) student has to practical work. This is a huge area for development being highlighted by universities who are seeing a worryingly growing trend in…

In September 2005, Beaumont Leys Secondary School gained Specialist Science status. As part of this new role the secondary school decided to support its ten feeder primary schools, which were close enough geographically to allow both daytime and twilight activities. Having gathered information about their in-service needs, Beaumont Leys offered a…

The author picked up a lovely greetings card the other day. The front carried a picture of an overloaded ark. The caption read "And Noah saith "Stuff the dodos"--and behold, it was so". This is an attractive but rather simplistic explanation of extinction. The author is writing in the wake of some extraordinary events, as Professor Michael Reiss,…

This article features the Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Leadership Qualification programme, developed by the Centre for Science Education (CSE) at Sheffield Hallam University in collaboration with Edexcel, which sets out to develop leadership skills and capabilities through contexts in STEM. With six units to complete…

QCA specified that science should include "How Science Works" at Key Stage 4 (age 14-16) from 2006. Since then, different "versions" have been specified for inclusion from primary through to A-Level (Orrow-Whiting et al, 2007). HSW seems to act as an umbrella term for part of the curriculum that "focuses on the evidence to support or refute…

This article considers how students might work together in small groups, from two to eight, in either a primary or secondary science classroom. The nature of group work can vary widely and could include, for example, a pair carrying out an illustrative experiment, a trio or quad debating climate change, or six or seven rehearsing how they will…

Models are included in the science National Curriculum because modelling is a key tool for scientists and an integral part of how science works. Modelling is explicitly referred to in the Programmes of Study for Science at Key Stage 3 and 4 (age 11-16) and in Assessing Pupil's Progress (APP). Pupils need to learn how to use models because they are…

In China, "Space Science" and "Our Place in the Universe" form part of the geography syllabus. Such cultural challenges are part of the everyday intellectual gymnastics necessary to sustain European-Chinese school collaborations. Belle Vue Girls' School in Bradford has an ongoing collaboration with Chang Zheng Secondary School (CZMS) in Shanghai…