Science

British Science Week

As well as our weekly Science lessons, often involving practical investigations, we celebrate Science during different times of year, such as during British Science Week. In 2022, we had a visit from Professor Bubbleworks, for a fun-filled day of Science. We learnt a lot during a whole school assembly and our class workshops. A Year 3 pupil said, "I didn't know science could be so fun!" A Nursery pupil said, "That was fantastic!" Following this, each pupil, with a partner, planted a tree, kindly sent from The Woodland Trust; we went on a QR code hunt around school to learn more about different scientists, such as Helen Sharman and Charles Darwin and we made slime and carried out investigations in classes showing how big you can make slime grow.

We also had a fantastic visit from the Wonderdome Planetarium. Each class went inside the dome and learnt about space.

For British Science Week in 2023, we had a visit from parents to share their science based jobs. We had a GP, pharmacology researcher, medical researcher, renal consultant and animal product developer. 

Children also completed an investigation called Bridge Blunder. They had to work in small groups to create a simple paper bridge, to balance between 2 books of the same height and hold a small weight. Children really enjoyed the challenge and were able to problem solve well.

We also learnt about different scientists who didn't let their disability prevent them from continuing their work, such as Richard Mankin, an entomologist, who has a muscle disease and
wears braces on his legs and uses crutches to walk; Wanda Díaz-Merced, an astronomer, who is blind; Annie Jump Cannon, an astronomer, who was deaf and Stephen Hawking, a theoretical physicist, who had Motor Neuron Disease.

Also, through generous donations from local garden centres, Homebase and Morrisons, we all planted seeds in our whole school allotment. By the summer, we loved eating our produce!

For British Science Week in 2024, children completed an investigation about the optimum time for dunking a biscuit in liquid. We completed different investigations across school, looking at different biscuits, liquids and water temperatures. Year 3 and 4 found out that milk holds the shape of a biscuit much better than water!

We also learnt about different influential scientists who are still alive, such as Jane Strachan, a climate scientist who works for the Met Office; Nina Tandon the CEO and co-founder of EpiBone, the world’s first company growing living human bones for skeletal reconstruction; Neil deGrasse Tyson, an American astrophysicist, author and science communicator, who researches observations in cosmology and astronomy; and Simon Conway Morris, a palaeontologist, evolutionary
biologist and astrobiologist, who has been researching the phenomena when unconnected groups of animals and plants evolve similar adaptations.

Planting Bulbs

Bulbs4Kids kindly sent us 600 free daffodil, tulip, hyacinth and crocus bulbs. These were shared out amongst every pupil in school for them to plant 2 bulbs each around the school grounds. We love watching them flower in the spring.

Animal Visitors

Early Years pupils have been learning about the life cycle of different animals, enjoying watching chicks and butterflies hatch and having giant African land snails in their classroom.

Before and After School Club have enjoyed watching ducks hatch. Everyone in school got some time to see the ducklings!

Parent Visitors

We had a parent, who is a doctor, visit and show children some real human bones!

Educational Visits

Year 2 visited Thackray Medical Museum, as part of their Science and History topic, learning about Florence Nightingale. Year 2 also visited RHS Harlow Carr, as part of their Science topic, learning about living things and their habitats. Early Years visited Yorkshire Wildlife Park to learn more about animals and their habitats.

Extra Curricular Activities

We have held an extra curricular gardening club and have created our own allotment for the last few years. Also, we held a Young Engineers extra curricular Science club for pupils in Year 3 - 6 in the Spring Term of 2023.

Young University

Young University topics often have an Science theme, such as miniature gardens and STEM bridge building.

50 Things to do Before Leaving Crossley Street

During their time at school, each pupil works their way through a '50 Things to do Before Leaving Crossley Street' document, which has many Science links, such as planting trees and bring up a butterfly.

Living Walls

We have had living walls installed at the front of school to improve the quality of the air our children are breathing. The walls are fully self-sustaining and will water themselves using recycled rain water. Researchers from The University of Leeds and Leeds Beckett University have also installed measuring devices in different parts of the playground and the school, to measure the positive impact of the living walls on the quality of the air our children are breathing.

The children have been exploring the plants with magnifying glasses and discussing all the different animals they have seen amongst the greenery! 

Science

British Science Week

As well as our weekly Science lessons, often involving practical investigations, we celebrate Science during different times of year, such as during British Science Week. In 2022, we had a visit from Professor Bubbleworks, for a fun-filled day of Science. We learnt a lot during a whole school assembly and our class workshops. A Year 3 pupil said, "I didn't know science could be so fun!" A Nursery pupil said, "That was fantastic!" Following this, each pupil, with a partner, planted a tree, kindly sent from The Woodland Trust; we went on a QR code hunt around school to learn more about different scientists, such as Helen Sharman and Charles Darwin and we made slime and carried out investigations in classes showing how big you can make slime grow.

We also had a fantastic visit from the Wonderdome Planetarium. Each class went inside the dome and learnt about space.

For British Science Week in 2023, we had a visit from parents to share their science based jobs. We had a GP, pharmacology researcher, medical researcher, renal consultant and animal product developer. 

Children also completed an investigation called Bridge Blunder. They had to work in small groups to create a simple paper bridge, to balance between 2 books of the same height and hold a small weight. Children really enjoyed the challenge and were able to problem solve well.

We also learnt about different scientists who didn't let their disability prevent them from continuing their work, such as Richard Mankin, an entomologist, who has a muscle disease and
wears braces on his legs and uses crutches to walk; Wanda Díaz-Merced, an astronomer, who is blind; Annie Jump Cannon, an astronomer, who was deaf and Stephen Hawking, a theoretical physicist, who had Motor Neuron Disease.

Also, through generous donations from local garden centres, Homebase and Morrisons, we all planted seeds in our whole school allotment. By the summer, we loved eating our produce!

For British Science Week in 2024, children completed an investigation about the optimum time for dunking a biscuit in liquid. We completed different investigations across school, looking at different biscuits, liquids and water temperatures. Year 3 and 4 found out that milk holds the shape of a biscuit much better than water!

We also learnt about different influential scientists who are still alive, such as Jane Strachan, a climate scientist who works for the Met Office; Nina Tandon the CEO and co-founder of EpiBone, the world’s first company growing living human bones for skeletal reconstruction; Neil deGrasse Tyson, an American astrophysicist, author and science communicator, who researches observations in cosmology and astronomy; and Simon Conway Morris, a palaeontologist, evolutionary
biologist and astrobiologist, who has been researching the phenomena when unconnected groups of animals and plants evolve similar adaptations.

Planting Bulbs

Bulbs4Kids kindly sent us 600 free daffodil, tulip, hyacinth and crocus bulbs. These were shared out amongst every pupil in school for them to plant 2 bulbs each around the school grounds. We love watching them flower in the spring.

Animal Visitors

Early Years pupils have been learning about the life cycle of different animals, enjoying watching chicks and butterflies hatch and having giant African land snails in their classroom.

Before and After School Club have enjoyed watching ducks hatch. Everyone in school got some time to see the ducklings!

Parent Visitors

We had a parent, who is a doctor, visit and show children some real human bones!

Educational Visits

Year 2 visited Thackray Medical Museum, as part of their Science and History topic, learning about Florence Nightingale. Year 2 also visited RHS Harlow Carr, as part of their Science topic, learning about living things and their habitats. Early Years visited Yorkshire Wildlife Park to learn more about animals and their habitats.

Extra Curricular Activities

We have held an extra curricular gardening club and have created our own allotment for the last few years. Also, we held a Young Engineers extra curricular Science club for pupils in Year 3 - 6 in the Spring Term of 2023.

Young University

Young University topics often have an Science theme, such as miniature gardens and STEM bridge building.

50 Things to do Before Leaving Crossley Street

During their time at school, each pupil works their way through a '50 Things to do Before Leaving Crossley Street' document, which has many Science links, such as planting trees and bring up a butterfly.

Living Walls

We have had living walls installed at the front of school to improve the quality of the air our children are breathing. The walls are fully self-sustaining and will water themselves using recycled rain water. Researchers from The University of Leeds and Leeds Beckett University have also installed measuring devices in different parts of the playground and the school, to measure the positive impact of the living walls on the quality of the air our children are breathing.

The children have been exploring the plants with magnifying glasses and discussing all the different animals they have seen amongst the greenery!