Early Years and KS1

During Nursery and Reception, children develop an understanding of the world around them. This involves practitioners guiding children to make sense of their physical world and their community. We provide a wide range of experiences for the children, which increases their knowledge and sense of the world around them.

In KS1, children are given opportunities to investigate using simple equipment. They will begin to undertake simple tests and develop their observation skills. As well as these core scientific enquiry skills, children are taught to identify and describe the basic structure of a variety of animals and plants and what they require for survival. When learning about animals and plants, children will have the opportunity to explore habitats and make links to the real world. They will also explore materials and their properties and start to make judgements upon suitable materials to use.

Lower KS2

Scientific enquiry skills are built upon by enabling children to start to think about planning their investigations. A more systematic approach to collecting information is taught as well as a wider variety of ways of presenting information. The importance of using evidence to support findings is also emphasised. Work on the understanding of plant and animal structure continues in biology. Physics areas are also introduced focussing on the fundamentals of forces, light, electricity and sound. Chemistry is advanced by looking at the properties of rocks and soils and investigating how materials can change between states.

Upper KS2

During Years 5 and 6 there is a much greater emphasis on children independently making decisions about scientific enquiry such that they should be able to plan comparative and fair tests for themselves. Children will use a wider range of scientific equipment and will begin to present data in more complex ways. Biological knowledge is furthered through looking at animal life cycles, the classicisation of living things, a detailed study of the circulatory system and an introduction to evolution and inheritance. Chemistry is progressed by looking at more complex properties of materials and exploring how changes can be reversible or irreversible. In physics, children will learn more about forces, electricity and light. The topic of Earth and Space will also be introduced.