At Woodcote Primary School, Science is viewed as having a vital role in developing well-rounded pupils. Science stimulates and excites pupil’s curiosity about natural phenomena, while allowing them to understand how major scientific ideas contribute toward technological change. We aim to give all pupils a strong understanding of the impact of Science in their everyday and future lives by asking them to think scientifically, gaining an understanding of the scientific processes and the implications in the real world, which is contextualised in an engaging curriculum.

Each lesson develops pupils’ scientific skills through practical activities focusing on observation, enquiry, planning and investigations, as well as encouraging ongoing pupil questions based on their scientific experiences.

Aim

The National Curriculum for Science aims to ensure that all pupils:

• develop scientific knowledge and conceptual understanding through the specific disciplines of biology, chemistry and physics
• develop understanding of the nature, processes and methods of science through different types of science enquiries that help them to answer scientific questions about the world around them
• are equipped with the scientific knowledge required to understand the uses and implications of science, today and for the future

As well as these, Woodcote Primary School aims to:

• develop pupils’ enjoyment, excitement and interest in science through enriching activities
• build on pupil’s curiosity of the natural world
• use a planned range of investigations and practical activities to give pupils a greater understanding of the concepts and knowledge of science
• develop pupils’ basic practical skills and their ability to make accurate and appropriate measurement
• introduce pupils to scientific language and vocabulary
• extend the learning environment for our pupils via our environmental areas

Curriculum/Scheme of Work

Woodcote Primary School teaches Science through the International Primary Curriculum (IPC). Some topics are cross curricular and include science teaching alongside other subjects, whilst others (for example ‘Bright Sparks’) are science specific unita. Children are fully immersed into their topics, creating knowledge harvests, taking part in innovative, exciting experiments and developing their enquiry and observation skills. Knowledge is built on as the children progress through each year group, giving children a deep understanding of each topic. 

Planning, recording, predicting, testing, interpreting results and proposing further investigations are the essence of science and together with suitable practical “hands on” experience, will be meaningful and enjoyable to the pupils.

Science in EYFS

In the EYFS, the exploration of science links with the ‘Understanding the World’ part of the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) Curriculum. Science is introduced indirectly through activities designed to inspire each child to engage in exploration, problem-solving, observation, prediction, critical thinking, decision-making, and discussions about the world around them.

During their initial years at school, our young learners delve into the areas of creatures, people, plants, and objects within their natural environments. They actively observe and manipulate objects and materials, identifying differences and similarities. Utilizing their senses, they might feel dough or listen to sounds in the environment, distinguishing elements like sirens or farm animals. The curriculum encourages them to make observations of animals and plants, providing explanations for occurrences and discussing changes.

Children are prompted to pose questions about the reasons behind events and the workings of things. Engaging activities may involve adjusting the incline of a slope to observe the speed of a vehicle or disassembling a mechanical toy to understand its inner workings. In this process, children are encouraged to predict outcomes, fostering communication, planning, investigation, recording, and the evaluation of their findings. This approach instills a foundation for scientific inquiry and exploration, nurturing curiosity and laying the groundwork for further scientific understanding.