Science at Addison Primary

Science teaching at Addison follows the National Curriculum guidelines through a termly topic approach. Lessons are taught discretely. Active engagement in learning is encouraged and children often work cooperatively, communicating their scientific ideas to each other. Scientific concepts are developed with the aim of helping pupils understand the world around them and encouraging them to develop a sense of responsibility towards it. Pupils are encouraged to combine interest and curiosity with a responsible attitude towards health and safety, as well as respect for living things and the physical environment. The Collins Hub Science scheme of learning ensures that each unit is taught through a hands-on, inquiry based approach, which aims to develop their scientific knowledge and conceptual understanding. This comprehensive programme ensures fun, creative lessons, engage and challenge all learners. Each lessons provides teachers with key vocabulary, National Curriculum links and learning outcomes. Pupils are given the opportunity to work scientifically and develop the enquiry skills. Assessment for learning is embedded in every lesson.

EYFS

In Early Years we capitalise on children’s thrill of discovery and their instinctive desire to know, understand and find out more by: 

• Providing freedom to explore, investigate and experiment using the five senses

 • Cultivating children’s curiosity about how and why things work and how things change

 • Encouraging questioning, testing out of ideas and drawing conclusions

  • Fostering children’s excitement and pleasure in the awe and wonder of natural phenomena

Science is valued and promoted through direct teaching and purposeful learning opportunities across different themes throughout the year. We use planned themes and capitalise on unplanned moments that present themselves to talk about living things, materials and changes. These include natural objects, new life and recycling. For each theme we have identified the scientific knowledge and skills that we will teach ensuring that knowledge and skills are regularly revisited. 

By the end of Foundation Stage children will be able to:

• Talk about the properties of materials  
• Carry out an investigation  
• Make a sensible prediction
• Talk about similarities and differences
• Name the parts of plants and animals
• Record findings
• Draw conclusions
• Observe, notice and make comparisons
• Talk about reversible and irreversible changes
• Talk about the characteristics of weather and seasons