St Elphin's CE Primary School

Our STEM team has been created to strengthen cross-curricular learning and provide richer, more connected learning experiences across Science, Design Technology, ICT, and Maths. By bringing these subjects together under one collaborative team, we aim to highlight the natural links between them and show pupils how they work together in the real world. This joined-up approach allows for deeper learning, where key concepts are reinforced across multiple disciplines. It provides opportunities for pupils to apply their knowledge and skills in meaningful, practical contexts – from designing solutions to real-life problems to using data to inform decisions and evaluate outcomes.

The STEM team works closely to plan engaging, hands-on projects that promote creativity, curiosity, and critical thinking. Through this collaboration, we are able to offer exciting opportunities such as coding challenges, engineering tasks, investigations, and enterprise activities that stretch and support all learners. Our aim is to inspire the next generation of thinkers, makers, and innovators

Mrs Marsh                    Mrs Taylor                Miss Edwards       

Our STEM team is made up of 3 teachers and 3 STEM Champions. The team meet at least once per half term to monitor how well their subjects are being taught but also to come up with new ideas, projects and special events to keep the subject exciting in school.

At our school, we use the Maths — No Problem! scheme to provide a high-quality mathematics education rooted in the proven principles of Singapore Maths. Our intent is to develop confident, resilient mathematicians who have a deep understanding of mathematical concepts and can apply them fluently in a variety of contexts.

The scheme promotes a mastery approach, where all pupils move through content at broadly the same pace, ensuring secure and thorough understanding before progressing. Through the use of concrete resources, pictorial representations, and abstract thinking (CPA approach), pupils build strong foundations and develop conceptual understanding alongside procedural fluency.

Lessons are carefully structured to promote problem-solving, reasoning, and mathematical talk, allowing children to think deeply and explain their thinking. Maths — No Problem! provides both support and challenge for all learners, ensuring that every child is included, stretched, and able to make progress.

We believe that with the right tools, encouragement, and high expectations, every child can achieve success in maths and develop a lifelong confidence with numbers.

To ensure consistent implementation, all staff have been trained in the delivery of the scheme with the STEM subject leaders having further, 3-day in-depth training. 

Children have 5, weekly MNP lessons which are further enhanced by weekly Numbersense lessons and TT Rockstar challenges. We have also introduced a STEM unit of study into our whole school curriculum which aims to further enhance the cross-curricular approach to these subjects. 

You can read more about the scheme and its impact here: https://mathsnoproblem.com/

At our school, we use the Primary Knowledge Curriculum (PKC) to deliver high-quality science education. Our intent is to provide a consistent, knowledge-rich curriculum that ensures clear progression of both scientific knowledge and skills from year to year.

The PKC supports teachers in delivering high-quality lessons that develop pupils’ understanding of key scientific concepts while encouraging scientific enquiry. Children are taught to ask questions, investigate, record, and evaluate, helping them build both resilience and confidence as young scientists.

Carefully sequenced content and well-structured lessons offer the right level of support and challenge for all learners, ensuring that every child can access and enjoy science. The curriculum includes regular assessment opportunities so teachers can monitor understanding and adapt teaching accordingly.

Our use of the PKC ensures a strong foundation in science, helping pupils to develop a deep, lasting understanding of the world around them and preparing them for future scientific learning.

The lessons are implemented in different ways dependent on the unit and the time it is being studied. Sometimes units will be taught in a full week, othertimes there may be weekly lessons. In our STEM unit (spring 2), most classes have at least 2 science units which are taught which really immerses the children in the subject and makes firm cross-curricular links with other subjects. 

You can read more about the PKC by clicking this link: https://www.primaryknowledgecurriculum.org/our-knowlege-rich-curriculum/how-it-works/ 

At our school, we follow the NCCE computing curriculum with the intent of providing an exemplary computing education that ensures clear progression in knowledge and skills from year to year. The NCCE offers high-quality, well-sequenced lessons that provide both support and challenge for all learners, helping them become confident, creative, and safe users of technology.

We value the enrichment opportunities the curriculum provides, from hands-on coding to exploring digital systems and online safety. The NCCE also offers excellent support for teachers through high-quality planning, resources, and professional development, ensuring consistent and confident delivery across the school.

By using the NCCE, we equip pupils with the skills and understanding they need to thrive in an increasingly digital world.

As with Science and Design & Technology, the scheme is implemented in different ways depending on what is being taught and when. You can read more about this DFE approved schmeme by clicking on this link: https://teachcomputing.org/

At our school, we follow the Primary Knowledge Curriculum (PKC) to deliver a high-quality Design and Technology education that is both engaging and purposeful. Our intent is to give pupils a clear sense of progression as they move through the curriculum, developing essential knowledge, skills, and confidence along the way.

The PKC enables pupils to explore the full design process: research, design, make, and evaluate. This structured approach helps children understand how real-life products are developed and encourages creativity, resilience, and reflective thinking.

Pupils are given opportunities to solve real-life problems through practical projects that link closely with other areas of learning. Lessons are carefully planned to build technical knowledge while also supporting and challenging learners at all levels.

Through this hands-on and meaningful curriculum, we aim to develop confident designers who can think critically, work collaboratively, and apply their ideas in innovative and practical ways—skills that are invaluable for future learning and life.