Science Curriculum
OVERVIEW
At St Mary’s, it is our intention to recognise the importance of Science in every aspect of daily life. We give the teaching and learning of Science the prominence it requires. Children are born scientists, from the moment they are born they began exploring and investigating the world around them using their senses.
INTENT
Our aim for science at St Mary’s is for our children to continue that enquiry and see themselves as scientists; from the Early Years Foundation Stage, through KS1 to the end of KS2 and beyond.
- To increase pupil knowledge and understanding of our world
- To develop skills associated with Science as a process of enquiry
- To develop the natural curiosity of the child
- Encourage respect or living organisms and the physical environment
- Provide opportunities for critical evaluation of evidence
IMPLEMENTATION
At St Mary’s, we use of ‘Switched on Science’ scheme of work as a guide for key learning and vocabulary taught for each topic within the National Curriculum programmes of study. This ensures progression across all key stages within the strands of Science. Children have access to key language and meanings in order to understand and readily apply to their written, mathematical and verbal communication of their skills. Children will use a range of resources to develop their knowledge and understanding that is integral to their learning and develop their understanding of working scientifically. Children will reflect on previous learning and cross curricular links will be made wherever possible. Children will be able to build on prior knowledge and link ideas together, enabling them to ask deeper questions and become enquiry based learners. Children will develop the following skills of investigation – observation, measuring, predicting, hypothesising, experimenting, communicating and interpreting.
EYFS
Children in EYFS, explore different scientific concepts through ‘understanding the world’ learning goals and are given opportunities to extend and enhance their learning through the different areas of provision.
Key stage 1
Pupils will experience and observe phenomena, looking closely at the natural and human constructed world. They are developing the skills to ask simple questions and recognise they can be answered in different ways, observing closely, performing simple tests, identifying and classifying, using their observations and ideas to suggest answers to questions and gathering and recording data to help in answering questions.
Pupils are taught about:
- Plants
- Animals, including humans
- Everyday materials
- Seasonal changes
- Living things and their habitats
Key stage 2
Pupils continue to experience and observe phenomena and will broaden and deepen their scientific ideas and understandings. They will build on their previous learning and begin to explore more abstract scientific principles. Pupils will make observations over time, noticing patterns, grouping and classifying things, carrying our comparative and fair tests and draw conclusions based on evidence. Pupils are taught about:
- Plants
- Animals, including humans
- Rocks
- Light
- Forces and magnets
- Living things and their habitats
- States of matter
- Sound
- Electricity
- Properties and changes of materials
- Earth and space
- Evolution and inheritance
