Science

Intent

At Great Wishford it is our aim that children leave the school with a good understanding of the world around us.  We hope to inspire the next generation of scientists and instil them with excellent scientific knowledge and skills that they can use in these rapidly changing times. We aim to stimulate the children’s curiosity through practical experiments and help them to ask questions that challenge the status quo. We hope to create a culture within science that exudes excitement and allows for discovery and exploration. However, at the same time we want to ensure that key scientific principles are taught rigorously and consistently thus providing the building blocks for future learning. We have high expectations for all our children at Great Wishford and we want to develop well-rounded, morally aware pupils.  

Implementation

Science has a key role in our curriculum and using the 2014 National Curriculum we work hard to develop your child’s scientific knowledge and understanding.  The school has created its own ‘Science Overview’ that is mapped out from Year 1 to Year 6. The purpose of the overview is to create a progressive sequence of scientific knowledge, skills and vocabulary. These have been created to sit closely with the key book for the term where possible, so cross-curricular links are strong and clear. The careful design of these overviews gives the teacher a good structure from which to plan a five-week lesson block.  

Science is taught each week and has a timetabled slot to ensure science is revisited often to help secure knowledge.

Our Reception children are first introduced to science in the Early Years curriculum where it is called Knowledge and understanding of the world. They will explore creatures, people, plants and objects in their natural environments. Observe and manipulate objects and materials to identify differences and similarities. Children also learn to use their senses, feeling dough or listening to sounds in the environment, such as sirens or farm animals.

During their time at Great Wishford, the children are encouraged to ask questions about why things happen and how things work; learn to explore, problem solve, observe, predict, think, make decisions and talk about the world around them.  Your child will also be learn how to communicate, plan, investigate, record and evaluate findings of an investigation.

Impact

At Great Wishford we aim to develop the children’s natural curiosity about the environment and help them to seek explanations. The children will develop caring and sensitive attitudes towards living things and the environment and be able to create hypotheses, design and carry out experiments, make observations and to record results. They will be able to use scientific methods of investigation and develop responsible attitudes to health and safety.

Our children will leave Great Wishford with imagination, inspirational thinking and receptive minds- all the skills needed to become independent life long learners and successful British Citizens.

Click here to see the national curriculum