Science classes Post Reply

[Lancaster]

Hi there
My nine year old daughter has come home from school saying she's bored of reading and writing, and she really wishes they did more science in class. They do very little, and its all taught in a rather uninspiring way. I feel frustrated that there's so little provision for teaching something really crucial to their development and education. And judging by how few girls go on to follow a career in science further down the line, surely the more kids are inspired early on, the better ? How are your children taught science at school - would you agree or is it just her school?

[peasepudding]

Lancaster is your daughter in the state or the private system? I ask because I am equally frustrated by the science teaching in state schools. Private schools usually have proper laboratories and children have access to these from an early age so get to be far more hands on and I think enjoy it all more as a result.

My own children are in an excellent state school; we have separate assembly hall, gym and lunch hall, a really good library, 2 IT rooms and even a cookery room. But no laboratory! I asked the head what she thought about it and she just sort of shook her head, like it hadn't occurred to her it might be useful! And to be fair to her (and she's been a great asset to out school!) it was the same in all the state schools we looked at. It feels so short sighted when science is so important in everything and, rightly, very high priority on the curriculum. However, all that said, there is plenty of science you can learn without a laboratory, plenty of experiments they can take part in, if the teacher (and whoever is responsible for health and safety!) is willing to carry them out. I would have a word with whoever is responsible for the science syllabus and ask them if they can do more to make the science teaching more hands on. Google science experiments for kids and you can come up with tons of things to do just at home let alone at school. I also recommend the Science Museum's range as it caters so well for all ages and different specialities.

As a scientist myself I am really keen for my kids to love science not just learn it and I've been really happy with the Mad Science programme which organises holiday camps for kids - my own started going before they were in reception! But I do appreciate it's expensive and it really annoys me that you have to pay for a good grounding in science!

[supergirl]

@peasepudding: could you please give more details about these mad science holiday camp? Sounds great.

I buy a lot of the very well made "kitchen science" kit in fun learning or online. My children love them. They also have at the moment a build your own skeleton (£15ish) which i m very tempted to get for christmas.
I agree schools in general could do so much more to make science fun, attractive and interactive.

[peasepudding]

Supergirl: Link for Mad Science in the UK

They have tons of stuff on in London, I hope your kids enjoy it as much as mine have.

[peasepudding]

Just noticed they have a couple of days in the Christmas holidays at Holy Trinity in Wimbledon, that's at least one day of the holidays sorted!

[MamaC]

Hi there

My son has been attending science classes at Imperial College, South Kensington that are truly inspiring. He actually attends a private school, that has excellent educational standards, and he's really happy there. But the science teaching is very much textbook based, and he doesn't do nearly enough hands on experiments etc, there never seems to be time.

The Saturday classes are through Richer Education, and are for 5 - 11 year olds and I would thoroughly recommend them. He's so far done things like extracting iron from breakfast cereal, dissecting a heart, a liver, a fish, and even has even held fire in his hands!

The classes are on Saturdays, and there is a Christmas Camp 21st Dec that is three days long, and on special offer of £105 for three full days, very good value I think.

[MamaC]

Oops sorry the link to the classes is via www.richereducation.co.uk

[zaza107]

these classes all sound brilliant! Also, worth going to the gift shop at the Science museum for things to do at home (not to mention the museum itself ) in addition to classes.

[Chessie]

Didn't the Mad Science camps used to be at Henry Cavendish? Anyone knows what happened to them, I can't seem to see them (or they don't run over the Xmas break?)

[Lancaster]

Thanks for suggestions everyone. Been in contact with people at Richer Education Christmas science camp, which looks fab and they are doing reduced price signup til Monday, so worth knowing about if anyone's interested.

In answer, my daughter does go to a (brilliant) state primary, but have heard the same said from parents who send their children privately. It seems to be a national curriculum thing - there just simply isn't enough time to cover science in great detail because of everything else that needs squeezing in.

[peasepudding]

They could still run at Henry Cavendish in the summer but the only Christmas holiday one in SW London seems to be at Holy Trinity. They're also at Ursuline Prep (SW19) in the summer which is where we've been.

[Lancaster]

Thanks all for your recommendations. My daughter is indeed at a state primary, but from my conversations with parents, it seems to be a national curriculum problem, rather than a state versus private one. There is so much to fit into the school day, that things like science experiements are missed out as they take too long etc, which is a real shame.

On a positive note, the Richer Education Christmas Science camp looks amazing, with some kind of Santa sledge building, fake snow making and exploding bath bomb present making going on! There's a msassive discount going on til Sunday so if anyone is interested would advise to book asap.

[Lancaster]

Hi there

Just wanted to say how much my daughter enjoyed Christmas Science camp, thanks for your recommendation MamaC!

It was exactly what she needed to get her thinking and doing science. Now she can't get enough of it! It's INSET day at school today and my husband has taken her to the Science Museum, plus we've signed her up for Science workshops with Richer Education on Saturdays, also at Imperial College.

If you've got kids who have half an interest in Science, and the practical application of it, would encourage you to get onto them. As per my earlier post there is too little taught in schools, and with a bit of insperation, it's amazing how quickly they learn.