Science

Key Stage 1

Year 1 begins with the exploration of Everyday Materials which is intertwined with the Shade and Shelters Design and Technology project. The children also learn about Human Senses which gives them an insight into how they can use their own senses. Learning about seasonal changes linked with weather, living things and day lengths gives the children an understanding of the world around them. 

Year 2 allows children to build on their prior knowledge of senses and build this further with the project Human Survival as well as Habitats. This year also enables children to build on their knowledge of materials and explore further to twist, bend and manipulate it. They also have the opportunity to gain new knowledge about how plants survive which is linked closely to animals and humans. 

Lower Key Stage 2

Year 3 enables the children to focus on specific body systems and nutrition, they also get a deep insight into the human skeletal system/ muscular system. Alongside this children delve into healthy eating which is linked through Design and Technology projects. The children will also discover how forces and magnets work alongside investigating how things move on surfaces. The Light and Shadow project enables children to explore opaque, transparent and translucent materials. 

Through Year 4 children explore the digestive system gaining a detailed understanding of its functions and purpose. They also focus on sound and how this is heard by humans as well as animals, delving deep into scientific vocabulary linked with the ear and the different components that make up the ear is fascinating for children to discover. The children also get to  explore a variety of different materials that have more than one state matter such as gel, foam & sugar as well as building  on their knowledge of how materials can change state when exposed to different temperatures. 

Upper Key Stage 2

In Year 5 the children get the opportunity to broaden their knowledge on forces, including gravity, air and water. They dig deep into the study of forces and magnetism which is building prior knowledge from Year 3. They also gain an understanding of the human reproduction cycle as well as the animal reproduction cycle. Our children are also able to experiment with different materials and test their thermal conductivity and solubility thus making decisions about how effective they are as materials. 

Year 6 enables children to learn about the significance of the circulatory system and the roles in transporting nutrients and gasses. They also revisit and build on prior knowledge of electricity honing in on symbols and representations of circuits. They also gain an insight into evolution and inheritance and how this can impact evolution of different species.

 

When children leave Ascot Road School, they will have gained a great foundation of scientific knowledge and key skills which they can use in later life. By the end of each year children should gain substantial knowledge and skills based on scientific discoveries. The children should be familiar with six areas of investigation such as comparison, fair testing, research, observation, pattern seeking, identifying and classifying as well as problem solving.  These skills and knowledge should set them in good stead for future endeavours whether pursuing a career in science or using the knowledge for personal growth.

Our children will also be able to demonstrate their knowledge through a double page spread which celebrates the learning that has taken place over each specific topic within science. 

 

Science in the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) is developed through the Development Matters framework which supports a holistic development for children aged 0-5. Through the aspect of understanding the world (UW) children are guided to make sense of their physical world and their communities. Early years provide children with a range of experiences to increase their knowledge and the sense of the world around them. As part of building these experiences the children enjoy a nature walk to Cassiobury park and immerse themselves in a habitat workshop in the summer term. Providing such experiences will foster their understanding of our culturally, socially, technologically and ecologically diverse world. 

Children explore a variety of different aspects related to science through the themes for each term and Understanding The World topics which interlink with their theme. This is through sensory play, open-ended activities and exploration of nature through the environment. These aspects also link closely with other areas within the EYFS curriculum fostering inquisitive scientists of the future. 

 

Children with additional needs are supported through using adaptation for learning and having an inclusive approach to ensure that the curriculum is available to all children regardless of their needs. 

Children are provided with resources required for them to achieve their goals and meet their individual targets. This approach ensures that children with additional needs have equal opportunities to engage in the science curriculum alongside their peers and gain a sense of achievement.

 

Science is fostered through the robust curriculum, that includes: 

 

• science boards in every classroom showcasing the current learning

• a celebration of British Science week through assemblies, including an opportunity to take part in a science competition

• homework specific science projects

• nature walks to the local park to observe changes in the environment

• habitat and plant workshops 

• immersive experience to the science museum

• a river study for Year 4

• forest school enabling children to explore science within nature

• science hub area in the playground for children to explore

• extra curricular Science Club

 

Providing vast opportunities to practise scientific skills enables students to develop a passion for science and enables them to discover the scientist within.