Science

At Foundation Stage, Science is introduced indirectly through activities that encourage children to explore, problem solve, observe, predict, think, make decisions and talk about the world around them. It’s called ‘understanding the world’. The aim is to help children develop enquiring minds who question the world around them and adopt different approaches to problem solving. Early Years science also helps children with skills in other Foundation Stage areas of the national curriculum, such as physical development and creative development.

In KS1 and KS2 Science is a core subject and the five areas of enquiry are (observing over time, classifying and grouping, pattern seeking, comparative and fair testing and research using secondary sources.)  In KS1 Pupils observe, explore and ask questions about living things, materials and physical phenomena. They begin to work together to collect evidence to help them answer questions and to link this to simple scientific ideas. They begin to evaluate evidence and consider whether tests or comparisons are fair. They use reference materials to find out more about scientific ideas. They share ideas and communicate them using scientific language, drawings, charts and tables with the help of ICT if it is appropriate.

In KS2 pupils learn about a wider range of living things, materials and physical phenomena. They make links between ideas and explain things using simple models and theories. They apply their knowledge and understanding of scientific ideas to familiar phenomena, everyday things and their personal health. They think about the effects of scientific and technological developments on the environment and in other contexts. They carry out more systematic investigations, working on their own and with others. They use a range of reference sources in their work. They talk about their work and its significance, using a wide range of scientific language, conventional diagrams, charts, graphs and ICT to communicate their ideas.