Science

Our Science curriculum is designed to excite children’s curiosity about the world and help them to understand the uses of science, as well as its implications for the future. Throughout school, pupils continuously develop their scientific vocabulary and enquiry skills as they revise different topics. This allows them to direct their own investigations as independent, active learners, seeking to answer their own questions.

We enrich our Science curriculum with school trips and hosting visits at the school. The children have been visited by the RSPB, who taught them about habitats and different types of trees. Some children also got the chance to take part in the Great Science share, where they demonstrated an investigation and explored different investigations from children at other schools.

This year for British Science week we were very lucky to have visitors from Mad Science. They carried out a variety of science experiments that amazed and intrigued our children. The children in years 3 and 4 then had the opportunity to take part in workshops where they carried out some of their own investigations. We also took part in the poster competition which this year was about adaptations.

"I really enjoyed the Mad Science assembly. Especially the part that was about gravity. I don't know how the ball didn't fall onto the floor." 

"I liked the workshop because it was about Rocks, which was our Science topic at the time."

As children explored plantlife in Science, we decided to take a hands-on approach and helped children plant flowers across the school grounds. The children love getting their hands dirty and watching their plants grow!

Autumn 2 Topics -

Nursery - Seasonal change - To understand that there is a difference between autumn and winter.

Reception - Seasonal change - To identify what the differences are between autumn and winter. 

Year 1 - Seasonal change - Observe changes across seasons, weather and day length. 

Year 2 - Materials Monster - This topic explores the properties and uses of everyday materials, set in the context of meeting, talking to and feeding the Materials Monster.

Year 3 - Forces and Magnets - This topic looks at magnets and their uses, and what makes magnetic poles special, along with the idea that some forces such as magnetic force can act without contact – unlike pushes and pulls, which require direct contact. 

Year 4 - Living things - This topic teaches the children to recognise that living things can be grouped in a variety of ways. They explore and use keys to identify and name a variety of living things. Finally, they look at how changes to habitats can pose dangers to living things. Whilst most of the work for this topic can be carried out in spring and summer, it is important that children visit the local environment throughout the school year so that they continue to develop their understanding of seasonal changes and how these impact on living things.

Year 5 - Out of this world - In this topic, children learn about space. Starting with the Solar System, they look next at how ideas about space have changed over time before they explore what causes us to experience night and day on Earth.

Year 6 - Evolution and Inheritance - Building on what they learned about fossils in Year 3, children find out more about how living things have changed over time. They are introduced to the idea that characteristics are passed from parent to their offspring, but that they are not exactly the same. They should also appreciate that variation over time can make animals more or less likely to survive in particular environments (adaptation). Children look at evolution and Charles’ Darwin’s theory of natural selection, as well as palaeontologist Mary Anning’s work with fossils

Experiment to do at home:

Useful Links

https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/subjects/z7nygk7

https://explorify.wellcome.ac.uk/ 

https://wowscience.co.uk/ 

https://www.natgeokids.com/uk/teacher-category/science/ 

https://www.nasa.gov/kidsclub/index.html