Strathallan Prep Science Department receives top marks for teaching

Strathallan Prep School’s Science Department has been awarded the Primary Science Quality Mark (PSQM), recognising the quality of teaching and learning at the Perthshire school.

The Primary Science Quality Mark, which is the only national award that celebrates the quality of primary science teaching, is led by the University of Hertfordshire’s Enterprise and Business Development in collaboration with the Primary Science Teaching Trust.

Clare Angus, Head of Prep School Science, said, “I am extremely proud to announce that the Prep School Science department has been awarded the Primary Science Quality Mark. The journey to achieving this award involved a year-long process, during which our pupils have been fostering their scientific minds.”

“We’ve been helping our junior pupils appreciate how science is relevant to everyday life through exciting experiments from hatching chickens and making ice-cream in class to taking part in environmental workshops and national challenges that push their capacity to learn.”

Strathallan Prep School, which became the first preparatory school in Scotland to join the Pre-Senior Baccalaureate (PSB) in June 2021, further engaged pupils by holding talks from leading palaeontologists, a BP oil engineer, dental students from the University of Glasgow and an aviculturist from the Wild Wetlands Trust.

Clare added, “Our pupils have had trips to Dundee Science Centre and visited a mobile planetarium, enriching the science they’ve been able to explore. My hope is that they understand that science doesn’t just start when they enter the classroom, it’s all around them wherever they go.”

Associate Professor Jane Turner, PSQM National Director said: “There was never a more important time for primary children to have a high-quality science education. The Coronavirus pandemic has made everyone aware of the impact of science on our daily lives.  Primary schools have an important role to ensure that children understand how science works and keeps us healthy and safe. Schools that have achieved a Primary Science Quality Mark have demonstrated a significant commitment to science teaching and learning, even at this challenging time for schools.”