Science
Subject leader: Mrs Rowell
Contact email: pennowethhelp@croftymat.org
‘Science-the important thing is to never stop questioning.’
— Albert Einstein —
It is our intention that all children
- Develop their interest and curiosity in science.
- Have the opportunity to acquire key knowledge and skills in an engaging environment.
- Have the opportunity to acquire key knowledge and skills by working scientifically, questioning, predicting, experimenting, recording results and drawing conclusions from their investigations.
- Are able to talk with enthusiasm about the natural world and scientific concepts they encounter.
Our science curriculum, fosters a healthy curiosity about the universe and promotes respect for the living and non-living. The curriculum is designed to ensure that children can acquire key scientific knowledge through practical experiences, the skills for which are mapped according to the National Curriculum’s working scientifically statements. These include
- asking scientific questions and making predictions
- planning an enquiry
- observing closely
- taking measurements
- gathering and presenting results
- interpreting results
- drawing conclusions
- evaluating their investigation
Lessons are sequenced to be developmental, and consideration is given to how children can be supported, in line with the school’s commitment to inclusion, or to achieve greater depth in the project.
We support our curriculum by encouraging visitors with specialist scientific expertise to share their knowledge and skills. We enhance our teaching and learning by making links to the real world and visiting relevant places of scientific interest. We have recently partnered with Redruth secondary school and the Ogden Trust who offer specialist scientific resources and expertise in physics.
DNA
The culture of our DNA at Pennoweth is embedded in the teaching of science.
Safe
The mapped progression of key knowledge, skills and vocabulary, as well as opportunities to work scientifically through practical experiences, ensure that our children understand, feel safe and comfortable.
Loved
Starting a project with Love2Investigate investigations, hooks children’s interest, sense of wonder and enthusiasm. This is a fun and engaging way for the children and class teacher to learn together. Children feel loved as a result of the collaborative, fun nature of these investigations.
Responsible
Children are responsible for their own learning. They plan and conduct experiments, use equipment to test their theories and work with peers to explore and explain concepts. They are encouraged to make mistakes and helped to learn from them, not see them as failures.
Learning
The children are engaged and motivated in their learning as a healthy curiosity about the world is fostered through visitors with specialist expertise, visiting places of scientific interest and providing the children with experiences that enhance greater depth thinking that ensures that all children are sufficiently challenged.
Ready
Finally, our children are ready. They are ready to be independent, secure scientific learners who can be resilient and apply their knowledge in different situations and contexts, across the curriculum and the wider world.
What will my child experience through science at Pennoweth?
From nursery, into Reception and key stage 1 then into key stage 2, children at Pennoweth school are provided with rich and exciting opporunities to practically investigate the world around them.
Nursery
Reception
Our EYFS approach to science allows children to observe, be curious, explore, ask questions and notice similarities, differences, patterns and change. It is supported by staff who capitalise on children’s interests and promote learning through experiences and play.
Throughout the EYFS, children will be guided to apply those skills to projects that teach them about seasonal changes, animals-including humans, plants and everyday materials.
Year 1
Year 1 projects have been mapped, for this single year group, across the year. Children have the opportunity to build on their EYFS experiences, embedding the knowledge and skills they have learned and broadening their understanding. Investigations are hands on, and will be experienced at the start of each new project, as well as throughout. Children are taught the skills of working scientifically and have the opportunity to apply these across a range of projects.
Year 2 – 6
Children in years 2 – 6 are currently part of a 2 year rolling program.
Our scientists, are encouraged to observe closely and ask questions. They are taught the skills of data collection, how to record, present and interpret data before applying these skills with increasing independence. They are supported to predict and hypothesise, present robust arguments and evaluate their findings. As in year 1, each new project starts with a ‘Love2Investigate’ investigation, this is an extra opportunity for the whole school to immerse themselves in a science investigation.
What science skills and knowledge will my child learn at Pennoweth?
Science curriculum knowledge progression N-Y6
Science curriculum skills progression N-Y6
What sort of scientific language will my child learn at Pennoweth?
Science vocabulary progression
What do Pennoweth’s children think about science?
Comments from children in KS1
‘I love ladybirds, they’re my favourite. I’ve learned that their red colours stops other animals from wanting to eat them. It’s like a warning sign, it means danger.’
The funny thing about food chains is that it looks like the caterpillar eats the bird and then the bird eats the fox but the arrows show you where the energy goes.
‘Mercury isn’t the hottest planet even though it’s the first one from the sun. It doesn’t have an atmosphere so it stays cold. Venus is the hottest’.
‘It was fun investigating the rockets. I predicted that the long balloon would go the furthest but it was the round balloon. I was surprised’.
Comments from children in KS2
‘This project was so cool! A man called Gary brough in owls and other animals. He dissected owl poo. We saw mice bones and bits of skulls so that shows us what they eat’.
‘We’ve learned about food chains. There’s a a producer, a consumer, a secondary consumer then an apex predator’. An apex predator is something like a lion or a shark’.
‘Evolution is the changes an animal or human goes through, it is the changes that happen over time and it takes millions of years. It helps them adapt to changing situations’.
‘We did an experiment with tin foil, a battery and light bulb. We had to work out how to light the bulb. It was a lot of fun. It took us a while to figure it out but we did it in the end’.
Useful science website and links
The Ogden Trust
http://www.ogdentrust.com
Open air laboratories
http://www.opalexplorenature.org
The RSPB
http://www.rspb.org.uk
The Woodland Trust
http://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk
Physics for kids
http://www.ducksters.com/science/physics
BBC Bitesize (Reception under ‘Understanding the World’)
https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/articles/zks4kmn
https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/subjects/z6svr82
https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/subjects/z2pfb9q