Science

Curriculum Drivers

Our vision for learning (Quoted from Teaching and Learning policy)

The vision for our school is to provide our children with the best possible start in life through the provision of a vibrant, engaging and relevant curriculum where children are challenged and inspired to excel. We strive to develop a community of life-long learners who are ready to succeed in the 21^st century.

The teaching of Science at Wales Primary School aims to give all children a strong understanding of the world around them whilst acquiring specific skills and knowledge to help them think scientifically, to gain understanding of scientific processes and also develop an understanding of the uses and implications of Science, today and for the future. WPS wishes to focus on the development of key vocabulary relating to enquiry, investigations and conceptual understanding. We aim to enrich and develop the use of scientific vocabulary across all key stages. We actively promote enjoyment and curiosity within Science by bringing the National Curriculum to life through active enquiry based learning, visitors and making learning meaningful for our children. It is this, along with the combination of rich and ambitious vocabulary, that we embed procedural knowledge into children’s long-term memories; effectively leaving a lasting memory of both the importance and pleasure of Science.

Science Intent, Implementation & Impact

Science Progression of Skills

Curriculum Enrichment in Science

A big thank you to everyone that took part in our first STEM fair - it was an amazing morning that the whole school enjoyed.  It will definitgely now become an annual event.

Our Science curriculum extends beyond the National Curriculum and includes a wide range of enriching experiences and opportunities both within and beyond the school day. Examples of how we enrich our Science curriculum at Wales are listed below:

British Science Week – An annual celebration of Science across all classes in school.

Annual Healthy Lifestyle Week – exploring the science behind keeping our bodies fit and healthy.

School trips – to the National Space Centre, Sherwood Forest, Magna and Cannon Hall Farm.

Local walks – Class walks to the Kiveton Woodlands to explore the local natural environment.

School grounds – We are fortunate to have a woodlands on the school grounds which is visited regularly as part of our curriculum offer. 

Lego Club – We offer two weekly Lego clubs as part of our STEM offer.

Outside providers – We have had the University of Sheffield visit to carry out light experiments with all KS2 classes and Wildlife Sheffield come to work in our school environment with KS1 classes.  As well as this, scientist (James Boffin) has visited and a Lego STEM workshop has been enjoyed by all years.  We also take a number of  children from KS2 classes to the 'Get up to Speed' STEM event at Magna.  All children from EYFS to Year 6 access online workshops run by STEM Ambassadors.

Plant Wales – All classes take part in our Plant Wales initiative where pupils learn how to plant and look after plants across the school grounds.

Books to support our learning in Science

Courtesy of booksfortopics.com, we have a list of our top recommended children’s books that celebrate science! We have hand-picked the best children’s science books that examine key concepts from biology, chemistry and physics – as well as stories that explore scientific thinking and shine a spotlight on famous (and not-so-famous) scientists. Please explore on the link below:

https://www.booksfortopics.com/booklists/topics/science-maths-computing/

Science at Home

Want to inspire your child to enjoy science? Try exploring the websites below to find these easy, engaging activities together at home.

Science can not only lead to well-paid and exciting jobs (think doctor, sports technologist, space craft engineer), it also opens up children’s minds to new ideas and encourages a curiosity about the world around them. Here are some fun activities that you can do with your child to inspire their interest in science:

Practical activities to support learning science at home or at school.

Science Fun at Home provides simple and engaging practical science activities. Originally created to support learning at home, the activities are equally useful for learning at school. The activities are open ended and adaptable for any age.

https://pstt.org.uk/resources/science-fun-at-home/

They’ve got 100s of hands-on, kid-friendly science experiments, so you’re sure to find something to try wherever your interests lie.

https://www.science-sparks.com/science-experiments-for-kids/

More practical activities with easy to follow videos and instructions.

https://www.theschoolrun.com/fun-science-activities-try-home