Intent

We promote a safe and stimulating environment where children encounter challenging and creative learning experiences in their science learning. We aim to stimulate the children’s natural curiosity and sense of awe and wonder about the world in which they live. Through this we believe that children will be able to appreciate how the growth of scientific knowledge  affects their everyday lives.  We will support the children to make clear links as to how science fits into their own lives and the world around them.

We will teach the children simple scientific vocabulary specific to the elements of the EYFS and KS1 National Curriculum.   We will develop children's questioning skills be modelling and encouraging critical thinking.  Through experiment and enquiry we help the children to understand that there isn’t always one answer to a question. We provide the children with opportunities to spend time making observations and use scientific equipment, performing simple tests to draw conclusions. We offer opportunities for children to reflect on and record their findings drawing conclusions on what they have seen.

We will encourage and support children to discuss their ideas aloud and in front of their peers to develop reasoning, justification and analysis skills.

We will plan experiments which are stimulating and enjoyable by using the children's 'Wonder Wall' to generate questions to investigate.  We will teach the children to 'work scientifically' by developing the skills specified in the KS1 National Curriculum.

We will teach the safe and effective use of equipment and procedures as specified in the current 'Safety in Schools' document.

Implementation

We foster a hands-on curiosity for exploration of the world.  We strive for the children to develop their ideas and ways of working that will enable them to make sense of the world in which they live through practical investigation.  We develop children's enjoyment and interest in science and build on their enthusiasm, encouraging them to ask questions, experiment and reflect in a safe environment, enabling them to acquire and apply skills which equip them for an ever changing world.

Science is taught following the aims and content of the Early Years Foundation Stage statutory guidance and KS1 National Curriculum. In Year R children are introduced to Science through Understanding the World. In Key Stage One the curriculum is split into different areas. These include; Plants, Animals including humans, Living things and their habitats, Materials and Seasonal Changes. It is taught through our carefully planned and exciting integrated curriculum.

We have explicit medium-term planning and weekly that is responsive to children's needs.  It is sequential, ensuring that knowledge and skills are embedded in children's long-term memory.  Our Science teaching provides children with first-hand experiences and opportunities to work scientifically in order to develop their scientific understanding.

The children are helped to develop their understanding of scientific ideas by using different types of scientific enquiry to answer their own questions, including observing changes over a period of time, noticing patterns, grouping and classifying things, carrying out simple comparative tests, and finding things out using, for example, books, photographs and videos.  

We encourage our children to use simple scientific language to talk about what they have found out and communicate and record their ideas and findings in a variety of ways.

We use both our indoor and outdoor environment to support the teaching and learning of Science.  Most lessons are taught through the use of first-hand practical experiences using our  school grounds and also through educational visits such as to Wellington Country Park.  We also invite visitors into school such as Zoolab to support the learning.

Impact

Our children show respect for the world around them and understand the importance of looking after the environment.

Our children have the confidence to discuss what they think with their teachers and peers.  Our children learn the difference between scientific questions and those which can be answered through research.  They generate their own ideas for investigations based on scientific questions.