Science

'Science is the process of learning about the natural world through observation and experimentation.'

Science at Inspire

At Inspire academy, we recognise the importance of Science in every aspect of daily life. As one of the core subjects taught in Primary Schools, we give the teaching and learning of Science the prominence it requires. The Scientific area of learning is concerned with increasing pupils’ knowledge and understanding of our world, and with developing skills associated with Science as a process of enquiry. In our school, Science develops the natural curiosity of our children, it encourages them to respect living organisms and the physical environment and provides opportunities for critical evaluation of evidence.

Aims

The national curriculum for science aims to ensure that all pupils:

• develop scientific knowledge and conceptual understanding through the 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.

Content

By the end of each key stage, pupils are expected to retain, apply and understand the knowledge, skills and processes specified in the relevant programme of study.

Key Stage 1

The principal focus of science teaching in Key Stage 1 is to enable pupils to experience and observe phenomena, looking more closely at the natural and humanly-constructed world around them. They are encouraged to be curious and ask questions about what they notice. They are helped to develop their understanding of scientific ideas by using different types of scientific enquiry to answer their own questions, including observing changes over a period of time, noticing patterns, grouping and classifying things, carrying out simple comparative tests, and finding things out using secondary sources of information. They begin to use simple scientific language to talk about what they have found out and communicate their ideas to a range of audiences in a variety of ways.

Children will learn about: animals, including humans; living things and their habitats; everyday materials and their uses; plants; and seasonal changes. Most of the learning about science should be done through the use of first-hand practical experiences, but there should also be some use of relevant secondary sources, such as books, photographs and videos.

Lower Key Stage 2 – Year 3 and Year 4

The principal focus of science teaching in Lower Key Stage 2 is to enable pupils to broaden their scientific view of the world around them. They do this through exploring, talking about, testing and developing ideas about everyday phenomena and the relationships between living things and familiar environments, and by beginning to develop their ideas about functions, relationships and interactions. Children ask their own questions about what they observe and make some decisions about which types of scientific enquiry are likely to be the best ways of answering them, including observing changes over time, noticing patterns, grouping and classifying things, carrying out simple comparative and fair tests and finding things out using secondary sources of information.

Children will learn about: animals, including humans; plants; rocks; light; forces and magnets; living things and their habitats; states of matter; sound; and electricity. They draw simple conclusions and use some scientific language, first, to talk about and, later, to write about what they have found out.

Upper KS2 – Year 5 and Year 6

The principal focus of science teaching in Upper Key Stage 2 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. Children select the most appropriate ways to answer science questions using different types of scientific enquiry, including observing changes over different periods of time, noticing patterns, grouping and classifying things, carrying out comparative and fair tests and finding things out using a wide range of secondary sources of information.

Children will learn about: animals, including humans; living things and their habitats; properties and changes of materials; Earth and space; forces; evolution and inheritance; electricity; and light. They will draw conclusions based on their observations and data, use evidence to justify their ideas, and use their scientific knowledge and understanding to explain their findings.