NSE BQIC Report Transform MAT

Big Questions in Classrooms Project Report: Transform Multi Academy Trust

Project Report

Why should we care for our world?

Lead teachers Tanya White (Associate Headteacher (MAT Science and RE Lead), Transform Trust) Alice Wilby (Science Lead, Sneinton St Stephen’s CofE Primary School) Tom Lees (Curriculum Lead, Zaytouna Primary School) Anna-Marie Marmo (Science and RE Lead, William Booth Primary School) Participating schools Breadsall Hill Top Primary School, Brierley Forest Primary School , Brocklewood Primary School, Bulwell St Mary’s CofE Primary School, Heage Primary School, Holgate Primary School, Lawn Primary School, Parkdale Primary School, Pear Tree Junior School, Robert Shaw Primary School, Rosslyn Park Primary School, Sneinton St Stephen’s CofE Primary School, South Wilford CofE Endowed Primary School, William Booth Primary School, Zaytouna Primary School 1

Telling the story of our project

Telling the story of our project

We sought to use thinking from both the Science and RE curriculum to get children considering the Big Questions of Life. We set out to create lesson resources based on picture books for EYFS, KS1, Lower KS2 and Upper KS2. We decided to create resources which could be used flexibly to allow schools some autonomy with implementation. This meant that some schools held a Big Questions Day; others spread out the learning across a few afternoons; or for EYFS across a few days within continuous provision. Additionally, for schools with enhanced provisions there was a choice available to allow staff to meet the needs of their children.

Training for use of the resources was provided during the Trust Science and RE leaders’ Professional Learning Community meetings. These sessions provided immediate feedback so that tweaks could be made to the resources, for example, if typographic errors and links to videos. We set out for the outcomes of the project to have a creative element.

Seeing these and receiving feedback from the pupils makes us proud: “I liked looking at the same question from two different points of view. I found it interesting to see how they work together.”

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Big Questions in Classrooms

Thinking about connecting ways of knowing in RE and Science A well-designed curriculum does not place subjects in isolation but instead allows them to complement one another, fostering richer, more meaningful learning experiences. With this in mind, we are starting to look carefully at where Science and RE naturally intersect. This work is not about forcing connections but about identifying meaningful overlaps that allow children to explore different perspectives.

Hence, our choice of ‘caring for the planet’ a starting point which Science and RE come together with some agreement.

By developing meaningful links between RE and Science, we aim to create a curriculum that fosters deeper understanding, encouraging children to appreciate multiple perspectives and develop their own reasoned viewpoints.

A key aspect of this work is helping pupils develop an understanding of the different ways of knowing that underpin Science and RE. In Science, knowledge is built through observation, experimentation, and evidence-based reasoning.

In RE, knowledge often emerges through interpretation of texts, personal reflection, and engagement with different traditions and beliefs. Recognising these differences is essential not just for academic success but also for developing critical thinking skills that will serve pupils well beyond the classroom. If children can learn to navigate these different ways of knowing, they will be better equipped to engage with complex questions in a nuanced and thoughtful way.

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Each child brings their own worldview to the classroom, shaped by family, culture, and personal experiences. Recognising this is essential in both Science and RE. In RE, we encourage pupils to reflect on their own beliefs while respecting those of others.

In Science, we teach them to critically assess evidence while acknowledging the role of human interpretation in scientific discovery. By using enquiry-based learning, we can create lessons that allow children to engage with Big Questions while considering their own perspectives and those of their peers.

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Behaviours that drive effective implementation: We engaged people from the beginning of the project from across Transform. These included: Trustees, Headteachers and subject leaders.Through regular presentations to these people, we aimed to unite them around our implementation plans and why it mattered.

We believe that this engagement resulted in the high numbers of schools choosing to be involved.

Contextual factors: We spent time at the start of the project considering if the planned day would be feasible for schools. This led to a more flexible approach being suggested so that schools could trial the resources in way which worked for them.

The Trust infrastructure of Professional Learning Communities aided the implementation. These meetings were preplanned and the subject leaders are familiar with collaborative nature of working in the PLCs. They also gave us the right people to lead and implement back in school. The project had the additional benefit of RE and Science leaders working together in school on a single project rather than working in silo.

Structured but flexible implementation process (Explore, Prepare, Deliver, Sustain): The training from this project allowed us to explore the Big Question and the interconnectivity of the subject disciplines of Science and RE. We also explored how the project could be presented to schools in the wider MAT. Once we had identified a question to develop, we prepared both resources and leaders across the Trust from Trustees to Headteachers to subject leaders of RE and Science.

Deeper dialogues

Thinking about the EEF Implementation Considerations

The delivery phase saw us rolling out the resources to schools who had chosen to take part in the project. Taking part was purely voluntary. Indeed, some schools attended the training but decided for a number of reasons not to continue with using the resources in school. Once schools had trialled the resources, they were encouraged to complete a feedback form with pupil voice and suggestions for improvements for the resources.

We are now entering the sustain phase whereby we will be encouraging schools to develop similar connections between other Big Questions. The resources will also be made available to all schools across Transform. Throughout the process, we aimed to be reflective in order to monitor and adapt our plans for implementation.

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A teacher in one of our schools discussed how the children learned the importance of protecting our planet and that Science and RE have similar views.This led to conversations in class around whether you can believe just RE views or just Science and how views on the planet can intertwine and be shared. The teacher was challenged to think about how this concept of shared thinking might make a difference to how they teach other concepts in RE and Science.

Key outcomes

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Deeper dialogues

Deeper dialogues

Created flexible Big Question resources for EYFS–KS2.

Sustaining this work in the future We hope that this has started schools and teachers thinking about how they could work in collaboration with other subjects to make meaningful links in order to learn from other subject disciplines. This could be supported through subject network meetings for Science and RE leads or through wider curriculum work across the Trust.

02 Fostered collaboration between RE and Science leaders.

03 Promoted enquiry-based learning and critical thinking.

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Big Questions in Classrooms

Resources and outcomes

Resources and outcomes

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