Science

Science

Our science programmes of study cover the areas outlined in National Curriculum and are covered by the end of each primary phase. Physics is not formally introduced until Key Stage 2. However, in EYFS and Key Stage 1, children have opportunities to explore natural phenomena, such as shadows. In our curriculum, the names of the science projects reflect aspects of the National Curriculum, for example, living things and their habitats and Earth and space. In Key Stage 1, however, the area of animals including humans has been separated so that children study humans before expanding to explore animals.

Our science projects are sequenced to develop both children’s substantive and declarative knowledge and, where possible, make meaningful links to other projects. For example, in Year 3, the projects plants and light are taught alongside the design and technology project Greenhouse and the art and design project Beautiful Botanicals. These links allow for children to embed their substantive knowledge in new and often real-life contexts. The sequencing of projects ensures that children have the substantive knowledge and vocabulary to comprehend subsequent projects fully.

Each facet of scientific study within the year has also been carefully considered. For example, projects which involve growing plants or observing animals are positioned at a suitable time of year to give children the best possible opportunity to make first-hand observations. Within all the

science projects, disciplinary knowledge is embedded within substantive content.

Foundation Stage 2

In Foundation Two, our children begin to explore scientifically through ‘Understanding the World'. Our curriculum is carefully planned to ensure children have a deep understanding of 'The Natural World' with an emphasis on vocabulary. By the end of F2 our children should: be able to explore the natural world around them, making observations and drawing pictures of animals and plants; know some similarities and differences

between the natural world around them and contrasting environments, drawing on their experiences and what has been read in class and understand some important processes and changes in the natural world around them, including the seasons and changing states of matter.

The progression of skills from Nursery through to F2 can be found on our EYFS skill led curriculum plans.

Key Stage 1

In Team 1, children start the Autumn term with everyday materials, linking this learning to the design and technology project Shade and Shelter. In the humans project, they learn about parts of the human body and those associated with the senses. In the Spring project seasonal changes, they learn broadly about seasonal changes linked to weather, living things and day length. They revisit some of this learning in the following Summer term project plants. They finish with the project animals, linking back to their knowledge about body parts and senses and identifying commonalities. In Team 2, children begin the autumn term with the project humans, learning about the survival needs of humans, before expanding to study animals within their habitats in the project living things and their habitats. Building on learning from Team 1, children learn about the uses of materials in the Spring project uses of everyday materials and begin to understand changes of materials through simple physical manipulation, such as bending and twisting. The Spring plants project also explores survival, with children observing what plants need to grow and stay healthy. Finally, in the project animals, children bring together learning from the Autumn term, thinking about what animals need to survive.

Lower Key Stage 2

Having learned about human body parts, the senses and survival in Key Stage 1, children now focus on specific body systems and nutrition in Key Stage 2. In the Autumn term, Team 3 learns about the skeletal and muscular system in the project animals including humans. This learning again links to other animals, with children identifying similarities and differences. Children also learn about healthy diets alongside the Autumn term

design and technology project Cook Well, Eat Well. In the Spring term, properties of materials are revisited in the project forces and magnets, with children identifying magnetic materials and learning about the non-contact force of magnetism. They also begin to learn about contact

forces, investigating how things move over surfaces. Science learning about rocks and soils is delivered through the geography project Rocks, Relics

and Rumbles. Children begin to link structure to function in the Summer plants project, identifying the plant parts associated with reproduction and water transport. Children finish the year with the project light, where they are explicitly introduced to the subject of light, with children learning about shadows and reflections, revisiting language from Key Stage 1, including opaque and transparent. In the Autumn term, Team 4 children learn about the digestive system, again making comparisons to other animals, in the project animals including humans. The second Autumn term project states of matter, children learn about solids, liquids and gases and their characteristics and identify properties of materials associated with these concepts. They understand how temperature drives change of state and link this learning to the project Misty Mountain, Winding River, in which children learn about the water cycle. In the Spring term the concept of sound is introduced, with children identifying how sounds are made and travel. They learn and use new vocabulary, such as pitch and volume, In the next Spring topic, living things and their habitats, children recognise classification and explore classification keys. Up to this point, children have had many opportunities for grouping and sorting living things. Finally, in the Summer term, children study electricity by creating and recording simple circuits. They also build on their knowledge of the properties of materials, identifying electrical conductors and insulators.

Upper Key Stage 2

In the Autumn term of Team 5, properties and changes of materials, children revisit much of their prior learning about materials’ properties and learn new properties, including thermal conductivity and solubility. To this point, children have learned much about reversible changes, such as melting and freezing, but now extend their learning to irreversible changes, including chemical changes. Children broaden their knowledge of forces, including gravity and air and water resistance, in the project forces. They revisit learning from design and technology projects, including Making it Move and Moving Mechanisms, to explore various mechanisms and their uses. In the summer term their knowledge of gravity is furthered in the project Earth and space, so they can understand the forces that shape planets and our solar system. They also develop their understanding of day and night, first explored in the Team 1 project seasonal changes. Having learned that animals and plants produce offspring in earlier projects and studied plant and animal life cycles in Sow, Grow and Farm, children now focus on the human life cycle and sexual reproduction in the Summer term project animals including humans. In Team 6, the final body system children learn about is the circulatory system and its roles in transporting water, nutrients and gases in the autumn term project animals including humans. In the Autumn term, children also build on their knowledge about electrical circuits from Team 4, now learning and recording standard symbols for circuit components and investigating the function of components and the effects of voltage on a circuit in the project electricity. Science learning about classification is delivered through the Spring term geography project Frozen Kingdoms. In the summer project light, children recognise that light travels in straight lines from a source or reflector to the eye and explain the shape of shadows. Finally, in the project evolution and inheritance, children learn about inheritance and understand why offspring are not identical to their parents. They also learn about natural selection and how this can lead to the evolution of a species. Throughout our science scheme, there is complete coverage of all national curriculum programmes of study.