1. Heronswood Primary School Pupil Voice – the issues pupils raise

2. Summary of Content
This example shows how pupil opinions can influence Science positively in school. It illustrates how the school has listened to and taken notice of the staff and pupils to create Science Teaching and Learning Principles that make it a valued and integral part of the Curriculum of the school.

3. What the school says
The school was in category “special measures” and Science was highlighted by Ofsted as an area to improve. A very enlightening activity was to perform “Pupil Voice” tasks and give subject attitude surveys to the children. This really helped staff to understand what the pupils thought and felt about Science. The school could then keep all the positive responses and work on the negatives.

4. This is the pupil voice questionnaire used by Heronswood:-
How often do you have a science lesson?
What is science?
What do you like about science?
How could science be improved?
What has been your favourite thing about Science?
Do you work on your own or in groups?
Any other comments
What do you think you will do next in science?
What do you find hardest in Science lessons?
Is there anything about Science that you don’t like?
But you could use ...
Electronic versions like Survey Monkey or classroom voter
Talk to the children to groups
Interviews a sample of individual children
Set up a quiz (maybe on the school VLE)

5. Children’s views
+ve They like ‘blocks.’
Want more practical investigations
-ve writing
More control of recording.
Learning Outcomes ok, but Success Criteria not understood/used well.
Action Develop alternative methods of planning & recording science. Use learning partners
Block planning
Practical activities - we know it is successful! Develop use of success criteria in Science.
Post-it planning we now use.
Result
‘Children throughout the school talked enthusiastically about Science and the emphasis on practical, engaging cross curricular science has made a real impact with the pupils.’
Home learning – making toothpaste!
Ice Hands-
practical science

6. Resources we found useful for this process
We also found the following resources useful:
Primary resources website for ideas about attitude survey sheets
PSQM resources for Science Teaching Principles and pupil voice
The post it note planning method for Science

7. The last word for the Science Subject Leader
We will continue using pupil voice activities to help us further raise the profile of Science in the school. ‘Learning in science is well promoted and the children now make good progress. The children enjoy their science lessons, use their skills in a fun, practical and engaging manner and are able to talk about what they have found out.’