Our science curriculum aims to stimulate and excite children’s natural curiosity and give them meaningful opportunities to explore, observe and investigate the natural and familiar world around them. We want our children to be keen scientists and enjoy investigating and finding out new things through experimentation and discovery. We aim to give our children plenty of practical and exciting opportunities to explore and learn new knowledge. Science is interwoven into our topic-based learning and these topics are chosen carefully to allow us to address local issues around personal care such as obesity and dental hygiene as well as more global issues such as recycling and looking after our planet. We look closely at animals as well as humans and learn all about their diets, habitats and life-cycles. Our curriculum also focuses on ‘working scientifically’ and through this children learn to use practical scientific methods of inquiry to ask questions, perform simple tests, make observations and identify and classify different objects or materials.
Another important part of our whole school curriculum is our focus on oracy skills. In science, we support the development of oracy and communication skills to allow children to confidently talk about their familiar world and support their enquiry based learning. Pupils are introduced to new/appropriate vocabulary to enable children to talk about their observations and to ask questions.
Children are given opportunities to work practically, independently and co-operatively for different tasks either with a partner, in a group, on their own or as a whole class.
In Years 1 and 2 pupils follow a creative curriculum which provides relevant cross curricular links to other subjects including maths, English, ICT and Design Technology. In Years 1 and 2 the statutory National Curriculum teaches the children methods and skills to work in a scientific way. In Year 1 the focus is learning about Plants, Animals including humans, Everyday Materials and Seasonal Change, and in Year 2 the skills and knowledge about Plants and Animals including humans is built upon. Additionally All living Things and Habitats and the Uses of Everyday Materials is taught. In Foundation Stage children follow the Development Matters programme and learn science knowledge and skills through the ‘Understanding the World’ curriculum. Children focus on the natural world around them, animals and seasons through lots of practical exploration.
The children have planned visits to other places such as Beacon Hill, a local farm and Watermead our local park which provides an opportunity to explore and develop curiosity within a different learning environment.
Our Science Coordinator is Miss Kirby
