At Knowsley Village Primary School, we love learning about science. The subject is present in every year group, from EYFS ‘Understanding the World’ to the KS1 and KS2 science curriculum.
The children at Knowsley Village Primary School are super budding scientists and are always keen to learn and investigate. Our ‘Science Long Term Plan’ illustrates the learning areas for each year group and this knowledge is frequently revisited in later school years to achieve a further understanding and appreciation of the subject.
Science Long Term Plan 2022 – 23
Our aim for our children is for them to not just learn the basic contents of each science unit, but for them to create a toolkit of skills in order to work scientifically and apply their learned knowledge to broaden understanding. The children have plenty of opportunities to practice and enhance their scientific enquiry through five key strands: 1) observing over time; 2) comparative and fair testing; 3) grouping and classifying; 4) researching; 5) pattern seeking. These key strands are incorporated into the learning for each year group, as illustrated in the ‘Science Curriculum Plan’.
Science Curriculum Map 2022 – 23
Science can have numerous cross-curricular links and we ensure that this happens at Knowsley Village Primary School. The children regularly apply their reading, writing and mathematics skills to their science work, such as producing detailed written descriptions or visual statistical diagrams. The science areas have been arranged to link in with each class’ half-termly project from the Cornerstones Curriculum Maestro scheme, with an additional opportunity to conduct a specifically related scientific experiment. This ensures children are receiving a full, relatable cross-curricular experience.
In addition to science lessons in school, our children have the opportunity to expand their learning in extra-curricular science clubs throughout the year. These sessions are an additional way for children to explore and enhance their scientific knowledge and enquiry skills. These are child-led sessions with the children often choosing which area or experiment to study. This highly promotes love of learning and in turn also improves children’s communication skills and well-being.
Every year our children also enjoy national ‘Science Day’ in the spring term where science is the key focus all day. A whole-school topic is chosen for all year groups to explore. The topic changes annually to ensure all children have the opportunity to experience a wide variety of scientific areas throughout their primary education. We strive to make this day a memorable and fun learning experience and invite related scientific visitors into school where possible. 2020’s focus was ‘Biodiversity’ and Chester Zoo’s Safari Rangers visited each class for amazing animal workshops!
The children at Knowsley Village Primary School really love science. Here is the proof!
Below are some useful websites related to science. Have fun exploring and learning!
- NASA Kids’ Club https://www.nasa.gov/kidsclub/index.html
- BrainPOP Science https://www.brainpop.com/science/seeall/
- Science Kids https://www.sciencekids.co.nz/
- National Geographic Kids https://www.natgeokids.com/uk/
- WOW Science https://wowscience.co.uk/