The Science and Technology AoLE prepares pupils for futures where the speed of technological development is increasing exponentially. Pupils need to be able to make informed scientific choices, not just within a Science and Technology based career, but in everyday life. This could be a simple one, like choosing a coat appropriate for the environment they live in, or more complex, like the choice between a petrol or electric car. 

As citizens of Wales, the UK and beyond by encouraging learners to think about real world problems from not only their local area but from the wider world. Learners will develop empathy, appreciation and understanding of environmental, economic and social issues/situations around the world. This includes environmental change, resource extraction and the constant need for new and more reliable energy sources.

Science and Technology has been, and still is, the driving factor for societal change in the modern world. The Science and Technology Learning Area strives to teach pupils to respond to challenges through innovation and the development of new ideas. Pupils are asked to engage with modern day problems like food shortages, research the pro’s and con’s of solving the problem and then construct models that tackle the drawbacks they have researched.

Wales has a history steeped in the fires of industry, from coal mining in the Swansea valleys to the still present steel production in Port Talbot. The Science and Technology AoLE celebrates pupils’ versatility by making strong links with other learning areas and areas of industry outside the school environment. This allows pupils to develop much more intricate schemas for their learning and allows them to make better links between theoretical knowledge and physical experiences outside the classroom.

The AoLE curriculum will develop:

Ambitious, capable learners, by:

• Encouraging learners to ask questions about the world around them. By being encouraged to use logic, evidence and creativity, learners will be supported to enquire into and apply scientific knowledge to further understanding of how our world works.

• Being able to evaluate scientific claims to help make informed decisions that affect our environment and well-being, including regarding the climate and nature emergency.

• The behaviour of matter determines the properties of materials and allows us to use natural resources, as well as to create new substances. Understanding the nature of matter can help learners to appreciate the impact that chemistry has on the world around them, as well as how it contributes to advances in science and technology.

 

Enterprising, creative contributors, by:

• Being part of a learner‑centred design process will encourage them to use creativity to develop ideas, manage and mitigate risks, and minimise complexities.

• Developing and testing models will also help them make sense of its complexity. With evidence derived from observations, new theories can be developed, and existing ideas may be refined or challenged.

• Designing and engineering outcomes in response to needs and wants, learners can become enterprising problem solvers.

 

Ethical,, informed citizens, by:

• By recognising the diversity of living things and how they interact with their environment, learners can develop an understanding of how these have evolved over significant periods of time.

• Knowing that humans form part of the living world and our decisions and actions, along with natural selection, can have a significant impact on the diversity of life.

• Considering the impact of our actions and of scientific and technological developments, locally and elsewhere in Wales, as well as in the wider world, asking ‘Just because we can, does that mean we should?’

Healthy, confident individuals, by:

• Developing an understanding of the factors which affect the health and success of organisms allows us to make informed decisions about our physical health and how we impact the natural world, including about the prevention and treatment of diseases.