Science

Science

The teaching and learning of science can take many forms due to the large number of branches of the discipline, but all of them involve a large element of  doing things, of experimenting, of making and breaking, of trying out new ideas, whether at primary or secondary level. This has been appreciated by museums and visitors centres, so that we now have a plethora of possibilities.

The Association for Science Education is the lead body helping schools to develop their teaching and learning. It offers support for primary and secondary science subject leaders, teachers and schools, and keeps schools abreast of curriculum and assessment changes and reforms. The Association aims to enrich science teaching and learning with free resources, which can be found at: www.schoolscience.co.uk

Some venues are obviously specifically suitable for science groups, but others, which are more cross-curricular, are less obvious. Below we give staff a pointer to these as well as making it easy to access the websites of the well known attractions.

CERN, the European Organisation for Nuclear Research, has long been popular with British school groups. It is celebrating 60 years this year and is encouraging teachers to look at its Cern Education website.

CAT, the Centre for Alternative Technology in Machynlleth, is also celebrating a major birthday this year – its 40th. It is a very different experience from CERN, but fascinating nonetheless.

We should draw your attention to the fact that farm visits are popular with primary schools and there is a growing number of farms offering excellent opportunities – from feeding animals to driving tanks. But there are some stringent health and safety rules to be observed. For advice and guidance please contact Handsam by calling 0844 335 1737 or emailing info@schooltripsadvisor.org.uk.

 

Main organisations:

British Science Association

Association for Science Education

CLEAPSS

Membership through Handsam

Radiation Protection Officer services through Handsam

Science Learning Centres

National STEM Centre

Inclusion: NASEN

 

Thought of visiting?

The Science Museum

Natural History Museum

National Space Museum

Centre for Alternative Technology

Cern Education website

ThinkTank, Birmingham

Michael Faraday Museum, London

National Conservation Centre, Liverpool

Museum of Science and Industry, Manchester

Techniquest (various locations in Wales including Cardiff, Wrexham and Pembrokeshire)

The Wellcome Collection, London

Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew

Earth Centres

 

For a complete list of venues and providers who deliver specialist courses and activities for this subject see below

Impressive working 18th-century watermill
Venue Type: 
Historic Buildings & Monuments
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Follow this amazing survival story of a mill that was almost demolished, then saved by the local villagers and restored to working order to carry on the tradition of milling on this site for over 1,000 years.

Set in an idyllic village location on an island on the Great Ouse River, Houghton Mill has inspired artists and photographers for generations. Come and experience the sound and atmosphere of a traditional working mill, have a go at making flour or lose yourself in the tranquillity of the riverside setting.

Venue Type: 
Parks and Gardens
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The Chelsea Physic Garden was founded in 1673 by the Society of Apothecaries to study the therapeutic properties of plants. In addition there are many rare plants and a rock garden dating from 1773. New for 2014: enlarged and re-modelled Garden of Medicinal Plants, displaying their past, present and future usage.

Perched high on clifftops overlooking the North Norfolk coastline, this centre is set in 30 acres of beautiful pine-fringed grounds
Venue Type: 
Outdoor Activity
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Sweeping cliff top views, beautiful sandy beaches and pine-fringed grounds surround the centre, located in a region boasting wildlife sanctuaries, famous fossils and the biggest skies in the country

Perfectly positioned within an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and on a stretch of coastline designated a Site of Special Scientific Interest

Situated in 30 acres of grounds and packed with recreational facilities

About West Runton 

Venue Type: 
Religious Buildings
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One of the first private landscaped cemeteries in London, it is one of the Magnificent Seven cemeteries of London, and is a site of major historical, architectural and ecological interest.

Its grounds are a mixture of historic monumental cemetery and modern lawn cemetery, but it also boasts catacombs, a crematorium and a columbarium for cinery ashes. 

17th-century thatched Baptist meeting house
Venue Type: 
Religious Buildings
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Discover Loughwood, one of the earliest surviving Baptist churches in the country. Founded in secret during a time of great persecution towards non-conformists, this beautiful chapel is set into the hillside and looks out over the rolling east Devon countryside with views of the Axe Valley.

Step through the front door to travel back in time and explore this place of worship which has remained virtually unchanged since the 18th century.

Venue Type: 
Museums
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The Royal College of Nursing Library and Heritage Centre is home to Europe’s largest nursing specific collection.

In 2013 we opened an exciting new space which includes public exhibitions, a cafe and a shop within the Library space.

Venue Type: 
Museums
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The Royal College of Physicians (RCP) is the oldest medical college in England. Its collections relate to the history of the College, and to the physician's profession.

Collections range from portraits, providing a pictorial and sculptural record of presidents, fellows and other physicians associated with the RCP, from its foundation in 1518 to the present, the fascinating Symons collection of medical instruments, and the Hoffbrand collection of apothecary jars.

Venue Type: 
Science & Technology
Overall Rating: 
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A museum housing the world's largest selection of working vintage computers. It tells the story of computing from the 1940s Colossus computer, which helped the father of computers Alan Turing break the Nazi Enigma Code machine in the Second World War, through the monster mainframes of the 1970s, home computers of the 1980s to the Touchtable of the present. Most machines are working and many are hands-on.

The National Museum of Computing is located on the secret wartime codebreaking campus of Bletchley Park.

Venue Type: 
Museums
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The Anaesthesia Heritage Centre at the Association of Anaesthetists of Great Britain and Ireland was founded from a donation by A Charles King but has since embraced numerous contributions. The collection encompasses the entire history of anaesthesia, from Morton's demonstration of ether inhalation in 1846 to modern anaesthetic machines and appliances still in use today. An archive and library provide excellent facilities for research into the history of anaesthesia.

Schools

Victorian style shop filled with memorabilia of Norwich’s most famous export
Venue Type: 
Factory Visits & Industry
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Colman’s have been making fine quality mustards in Norfolk for 200 years and this tradition is celebrated in Colman’s Mustard Shop & Museum. Housed in the historic Art Nouveau Royal Arcade near Norwich Market, the shop is a careful replica of a Victorian trade premises.

Displays illustrate all aspects of the history and production of Colman’s mustard, with many historic items on show such as wartime mustard tins and Victorian and Art Deco mustard pots.

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