Our School
- Headmaster’s Welcome
- Ethos & Vision
- Charity
- Eco Schools
- Financial Information
- Governors
- Healthy Schools
- Our Nursery
- Our Church
- Outreach
- Ofsted and Religious Education Inspection
- Mental Health
- Policies
- Play Time
- Pelican Music at St. Stephen’s CE Primary School
- Pupil Premium and PE Premium
- Safeguarding
- School Houses
- Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND)
- Stars of the Week, House Points & Attendance Champions
- School Maintenance and Development Fund
- Vacancies
Teaching and learning
Science
Here at St. Stephen’s we strive to ensure that our pupils have access to an encouraging and enriching science curriculum that feeds their natural inquisitiveness and builds their scientific understanding.
Teachers plan engaging, educational and relevant opportunities for the children to explore, investigate and develop an understanding of their local and wider environments. This enables them to learn and practise a wide range of scientific skills; and to acquire open, critical and responsible attitudes to science.
Our aim is that these stimulating and challenging experiences help enhance and extend our pupils scientific knowledge and vocabulary. We believe that these opportunities will ensure that our children are confident, life-long learners who continue to have an active role in science. As children grow up in an increasingly technologically and scientifically advanced world, they need to be scientifically literate to succeed. We are surrounded by technology and the products of science every day.
Children are naturally curious and at St. Stephen’s we nurture this curiosity by enabling children to explore the ever changing world around them. Children are given the time, expertise and resources to engage in thought-provoking science lessons. This allows children of all ages to ask scientific questions and cultivate the skills they need to answer those questions. Problem-solving and critical thinking are two of the most important skills students learn in school that they will use throughout their lives.
All year groups experience weekly science lessons that make the most of the school’s stimulating science curriculum. There is a clear progression of transferable science skills taught from Nursery right through to Year 6. The school’s science assessment system carefully checks and supports children’s progress in Science.
We follow the National Curriculum (2013) for Science.
Science Curriculum Links
Scientist-in-Residence
Each year group has been fortunate to have had the opportunity to work with a Scientist-in-Residence. In small groups, students got to explore a topic area in more detail to kindle their curiosity, help them think differently about their world and inspire them to dream big about their future careers.
The school also runs weekly Science clubs for both Key Stages 1 & 2 and a Gardening Club where children help to take care of our school garden growing delicious fresh produce.
A goodbye from Linda (SIR)
Hello St Stephens!
This is a little note to say a big thank you to each and everyone of you. It has been amazing to have been your Scientist-in-Residence and working with all of you doing fun Science experiments to learn together and to answer all your great questions. I love Science and I loved doing Science with you all – and I hope you continue to love Science too!
Thank you, Linda
Summer Term 2024 Newsletter
Linda van Keimpema SIR Whole School Newsletter
2023-2024 Newsletters
SIR Year 3 Forces and Magnets Newsletter
SIR Year 1 Materials Newsletter
SIR Year 4 Electricity Newsletter
SIR Year 2 Growth and Survival Newsletter
SIR Year 6 Organisms Newsletter
SIR Reception Senses Newsletter
2022-2023 Newsletters
SIR Year 1 Materials Newsletter
SIR Year 3 What Scientists Do Newsletter
SIR Year 4 Habitats Newsletter
Science Events
Science events for all the family!
A list of Science Centres to visit as a family during weekends and holidays to inspire and engage children in the world of STEM.
British Science Week:
We are always proud to be part of British Science Week – a celebration of STEM – co-ordinated by the British Science Association to spark enthusiasm and raise awareness of all the wonderful STEM work and people around the UK. We launched the 2023 Week with a bang-tastic Collective Worship led by Mercedes, our previous Scientist-in-Residence, and some of her Science Club students.
https://www.ststephensce.lbhf.sch.uk/british-science-week-launch-successful/
Spring bulb daffodil growing competition:
Last year, all children went home with a daffodil bulb to plant in pots for a chance to win prizes for the school thanks to the London Children’s Flower Society. This month over 50 glorious daffodils were brought back in and judged by the Society and we’re pleased to announce that we had 16 bronze, 19 silver and a whopping 23 gold certificates awarded. Congratulations to all our green-fingered gardeners and watch out for details of the Summer growing competition shortly.
https://www.ststephensce.lbhf.sch.uk/daffodil-growing-competition-the-results/
Previous Science Events at St. Stephen’s
In July 22, Y4 & 5 students were lucky enough to be invited to a Science Enrichment day at St Paul’s Girls’ School with experiments and demonstrations aplenty.
Science Enrichment Day at St Paul’s Girls’ School
This June Y5 & 6 students were invited to the Science on Stage event at the Royal Institution organised by the Ri and Benjamin Franklin House to witness experiments involving tesla rods, liquid nitrogen and fire! Read more here:
Y5/6 Science trip to the Royal Institution – don’t try this at home!
In March & June 2022, students from St Stephens were invited to the Royal Observatory Greenwich to help the organisation plan for their forthcoming 350th anniversary! Read more about our ‘out of this world’ trips below.
A Visit to the Royal Observatory
A Second Invite from the Royal Observatory
For Mars Hour this March, Y3 & 4 students took part in a special session at the Geological Society handling 4.5billion year old rocks! Read more from the link below.
Mars Hour – Y3 & 4 Trip to the Geological Society
In February 2022, students across the school took part in the RSPB Big Schools’ Birdwatch counting how many birds we could spot around the school over one hour. We were lucky enough to be visited and filmed by City News to launch the initiative. Watch the film from the link below.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IcynH1VUjeo
In October 2021 our celebration of Black Voices Week shone a light on the achievements of scientists, engineers and inventors from around the world both past and present to inspire and engage our students in the world of STEM.
