“Science – like magic but REAL!”

At Christ Church Primary School, we believe that science inspires children, encouraging them to be inquisitive, nurturing their innate curiosity and enabling them to develop their knowledge and understanding of the world across their learning. By the end of their primary education, all of our children are fully equipped to make informed decisions about new technologies, their health and the scientific opportunities around them.

Beginning with an exploration of the natural world during the Early Years Foundation Stage, our science curriculum offers a broad range of experiences designed to provide our children with a progression of scientific understanding, skills and knowledge. The understanding of key ideas in science is reinforced and built on across each year group with teachers using games and quizzes to revisit prior learning. Across the whole school, our science lessons have a clear progression of knowledge and skills that aim to encourage children to move from early observations and exploration, to considered questioning and the drawing out of ideas. In science at Christ Church, we use concept cartoons alongside regular elicitation exercises to assess children’s understanding and prepare them for future learning. Importance is placed on first hand experiences with children provided with access to the wide range of resources available as well as regular use of the local environment and habitats across the school grounds and local areas. Our children accurately predict, observe, discuss, question, classify, seek patterns, research, set up fair tests and record and interpret their findings.

All children have a confident grasp of scientific vocabulary across the wider curriculum through the use of knowledge organisers and engaging vocabulary games that embed taught vocabulary and revisit the vocabulary of prior learning. using targeted reading materials with a science theme.

Overall, we broaden all children’s scientific knowledge and their view of the world around them, whilst promoting their curiosity and a love for enquiry with children wanting to explore new things and ideas.