Science

We are Scientists!

Science teaching at Thurcroft Infant School aims to give all children an understanding of the world around them whilst acquiring specific skills and knowledge to help them to think scientifically, to gain an understanding of scientific processes and also to understand the uses and implications of Science, today and for the future.

We aim for all children to develop and to be able to use a range of skills including observations, planning and investigations, as well as being encouraged to question the world around them and become independent science learners; exploring possible answers for their scientific based questions.

We provide a cross-curricular approach where children learn through a range of first-hand experiences so as to broaden their knowledge, skills and aspirations. This model allows children to build upon their prior knowledge and increases their enthusiasm for the topics whilst embedding the procedural knowledge into the long-term memory.

Our Curriculum

Our enquiry-based curriculum provides children with solid foundations with which they will be able to build as they progress through their education. We have created a progression document using the National Curriculum, Development Matters 2020 and the Early Years Goals. This shows all skills, objectives and topics that should be covered each year.

Link to progression document

Our KS1 Intent

We aim for all children to finish Key Stage 1 equipped with the scientific knowledge and skills to be able to succeed in world in which science is fundamental. We provide a high-quality science education; teaching key foundational knowledge and concepts which are underpinned by essential scientific skills. Children are immersed into an environment which promotes enquiry skills; they are encouraged to be curious, to discover, ask questions, research and develop their ideas through a range of first-hand experiences, investigations and taught lessons.

Implementation

In Key Stage 1 pupils observe, explore and ask questions about living things, materials and physical phenomena through cross-curricular learning. Working Scientifically skills are embedded into every lesson to ensure these skills are being developed throughout the children’s school career and new vocabulary and challenging concepts are introduced through direct teaching. They will begin to work together to collect evidence to help them answer questions and to link this to simple scientific ideas. They will evaluate evidence and consider whether tests or comparisons are fair and use reference materials to find out more about scientific ideas. The children will share ideas and communicate them using scientific language, drawings, charts and tables with the help of ICT if it is appropriate.

All classes produce a class floor book as evidence of their science learning. This is a fun and effective way to demonstrate how science is accessed by the pupils within each lesson as not all science lessons will produce written evidence. If children do produce written evidence, this will be located within their topic folders. Our Science Floor books are also an essential tool in retrieving previous learning.

Science in the EYFS

Science in the EYFS is covered in the ‘Understanding the World’ area of the EYFS curriculum. It is introduced through direct and indirect learning activities. The activities planned encourage children to explore, problem solve, observe, predict, think, make decisions and talk about the world around them.

Our EYFS Intent

We aim for all children in our early years to have the opportunity to be curious, to explore and to discover how the world around them works. Our children are immersed into an exciting learning environment with plenty of opportunities to access both continuous provision and high-quality teaching in order to enhance their scientific enquiry skills. Children are introduced to a range of scientific phenomena found in nature through both teacher-led experiences and child-initiated enquiry.

Implementation

During the first years at school our children will explore creatures, people, plants and objects in their natural environments. They will observe and manipulate objects and materials to identify similarities and differences They will also learn to use their senses to explore the world around them. They will make observations of animals and plants and explain why some things occur and talk about changes. Children will be encouraged to ask questions about why things happen and how things work. Also, our children will be asked questions about what they think will happen to help communicate plan, investigate, record and evaluate findings of our science investigations.

Science Highlights

FS2 Trip to The Deep