Intent

All planning should be driven by the aims:

• To provide the foundations to understand, question and explain the world around them.
• To provide children with memorable experiences that enrich their lives, generating a sense of excitement and curiosity about natural phenomena.
• To have the understanding of different scientific enquiries to enable them to answer specific scientific questions as well as their own.

In order to achieve this, we will:

•  promote learning through awe and wonder so they question the world around them.  Because our children learn best when inspired and when they can see a ‘real purpose’ to what they are learning. This will encourage thinking and enable them to raise their own questions.
• provide opportunities for practical enquiries, where children can apply their new scientific knowledge to real-life examples. Because we want to encourage independent learners who have the skills to be able to ask their own questions.
• We develop children’s explicit scientific knowledge and conceptual understanding.  Because this will ensure children have a rich foundation of science allowing them to discuss and deepen their understanding further whilst making links to their prior learning.

By the end of EYFS, children will:

• 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.
• Understand some important processes and changes in the natural world around them, including the seasons and changing states of matter.
• Safely use and explore a variety of materials, tools and techniques, (experimenting with colour, design, texture, form and function.)

By the end of KS1, children will learn the skills of science through:

• Biology:
  • name and classify animals, including humans
  • observe seasonal changes, develop understanding of what plants need to germinate, grow and survive
  • simple reproduction of animals, moving on to their basic needs and importance of a healthy exercise and hygiene.
  • find ut about living things and their habitats
• Chemistry:
  • sort and classify the properties of materials
  • develop their knowledge of materials – what are particular materials suitable for and what properties do different materials have?

By the end of KS2, children will:

• know how to raise questions about working scientifically and take the initiative in planning and carrying out scientific investigations in a variety of contexts
• understand how to report scientific findings with both verbal and written explanations
• Biology:
  • living things and their habitats
  • human and plant anatomy and physiology. Children will use this knowledge to help them deepen their understanding of Biology through our ‘Evolution’ unit in Year 6
• Chemistry:
  • rocks and soils,
  • properties and changing materials, including states of matter.
• Physics:
  • types of everyday materials,
  • forces, including magnetic,
  • light
  • sound
  • electricity
  • outer-space