Science

Exploring Science through curiosity and enquiry

• Organisation of Science

• Science Lessons

• Enrichment

Organisation of Science

At Eltham Church of England, our vision for science is to ignite inquisitiveness and inspire children to explore and discover the world around them, so that they can develop a deeper understanding of the world we live in. Children at our school are taught scientific knowledge and skills from Early Years through to Year 6 for an hour a week. Our curriculum equips all children with the skills that they need to understand their world, all through the growth of scientific enquiry.

In the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) is taught through Understanding the World. This involves guiding children to make sense of their physical world and their community through opportunities to explore, observe and find out about people, places, technology and the environment. Observations made by all the adults in the setting are collected using Tapestry, and a baseline, mid-year and end of year judgement are made against the Early Learning Goals and Understanding the World aspect of the Development Matters (non-statutory guidance).

Years 1-6 have a curriculum built around the National Curriculum’s programmes of study, and topics are sequenced throughout year groups to ensure progression. Learning is scaffolded and children build upon their prior learning. Interwoven in their knowledge learning, children explore and develop the scientific skills of comparative/ fair testing, research, observation, pattern seeking, and identifying, grouping and classifying.

Click here for the Science Curriculum Overview

Click here to see the Science Progression Map

Click here to see the Science Progression Map Working Scientifically

Science Lessons

Science lessons provide the foundations of understanding the world through the disciplines of biology, chemistry and physics. Our curriculum ensures the development of scientific knowledge and conceptual understanding, as well as developing skills that children need to work scientifically.

All children access an hour of high-quality, teacher lead science every week. Half-termly units are designed so that a balance of topics and themes are covered across each key stage. Each lesson is carefully designed so that scientific skills, knowledge and explanations are taught through practical activities, media, slideshows and presentations.  Work is differentiated so that all learners are supported and everyone is involved and excited by the topic being covered.

Reception

In Reception, children are encouraged to explore the world around them, with opportunities to develop their understanding of scientific concepts though observation and discussion. Children begin to notice the similarities and differences in environments, draw pictures of animals and plants and develop their understanding of processes and changes in the natural world around them. 

Key Stage 1

In KS1, lessons are designed to begin developing children’s scientific vocabulary and skills. Lessons engage children and they are able to ask questions and explore. Some lessons will use simple equipment which allow children to make observations, while others invite children to identify and classify.

Lower Key Stage 2

In LKS2, children broaden their scientific view of the world around them. They do this by exploring, talking about, testing and developing ideas about everyday phenomena. They start to notice relationships between living things and environments and develop ideas about functions, relationships and interactions. They start to have more ownership over they ways in which they make observations or the manners in which the classify animals and materials. Lessons also introduce the importance of fair testing and children begin to draw simple conclusions based on the data they gather.

Upper Key Stage 2

In UKS2, the principal focus of teaching is to enable pupils to develop a deeper understanding of a wide range of scientific ideas. They do this through exploring and talking about their ideas; asking their own questions about scientific phenomena; and analysing functions, relationships and interactions more systematically. They also begin to understand that scientific ideas change and develop over time. An example of this is in Year 5’s Earth and Space unit, where children learn about the initial theory that the Earth is flat, and how scientists came to such discoveries.

Enrichment