Primary Curriculum
Science
“Equipped with his five senses, man explores the universe around him and calls the adventure Science.” (Edwin Powell Hubble)
At Starbank School, we believe that an outstanding Science education is at the heart of a well-rounded and holistic curriculum, centred around the child. We aim to provide all students with the tools and opportunity to discover Science in the natural world first hand, through investigation, discussion and enquiry. We recognise that in an increasingly scientific and technological age, children need to acquire knowledge, skills and attitudes to better prepare them for modern life, which we endeavour to provide through a well-planned, well-resourced and progressive science curriculum. We believe in fostering a child’s natural curiosity about the world around them to nurture their ongoing scientific understanding. We aim to instil a whole school ethos, in which every child will value the world around us and understand our responsibility towards the wider environment and community. Throughout their time in school, children will be introduced to a range of focus scientists from different ethnicities, countries, genders and backgrounds, allowing children to see that a career in science can be for everyone.
Our science curriculum is cumulative and progressive. It focuses on the sequential development of essential knowledge underpinning biology, chemistry and physics, as per the science progression map below. Over time, these building blocks of component learning are transformed into a deep understanding of the real world. Each year group deepens their understanding of key concepts, adding new core knowledge to existing schema. For example, the biology strand of ‘plants’ is revisited multiple times throughout the year groups, with the component learning of basic plant structure in Year 1 transforming into the composite learning of water transportation within plants in Year 3.
Science is taught discretely, with a focus on knowledge-rich content and the development of essential science enquiry skills. The National Curriculum programmes of study and Early Years Foundation Stage framework are fully adhered to and then supplemented with additional knowledge-rich content. This provides a coherent science curriculum that both prepares children extremely well for future learning and gives them the tools to independently investigate and explore the world further. The science curriculum encourages children to be curious about natural phenomena and to be excited by the process of understanding the world around them. We want our children to remember the concepts they learn.
Procedures and concepts that underpin scientific methods are developed. Every unit of work contains opportunities to develop the skills of asking questions, predicting, observing, measuring, fair testing, classifying, thinking critically and drawing conclusions, according to the progression in these skills as per the science progression map. Thus, essential science concepts are developed whilst children investigate the world around them.
Key science concepts and working scientifically skills are taught according to the following whole school long term plan:
Children at Starbank School overwhelmingly enjoy science and this results in motivated learners with robust scientific understanding of -and curiosity about-the world around them.
| Autumn 1 | Autumn 2 | Spring 1 | Spring 2 | Summer 1 | Summer 2 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | Animals, Including Humans Jane Goodall (chimpanzees) Seasonal Changes Robert Hooke (rain gauge) |
Use of Everyday Materials Chester Greenwood (woolly hat) Seasonal Changes |
Plants George Washington Carver (planting) Seasonal Changes |
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| Year 2 |
Living Things and their Habitats Seasonal changes – Spring |
Animals Including Humans Elizabeth Garrett Anderson (first female doctor) |
Uses of Everyday Materials Seasonal changes – Spring (Year 1) |
Plants Plants / Seasonal changes – Summer |
||
| Year 3 | States of matter Maria Telkes (solar power) |
Electricity Michael Faraday (invented electric motor) |
Sound Alexander Bell (inventor of telephone) |
Animals Including Humans Teeth/digestive system Washington Sheffield (toothpaste) |
Living Things and Their Habitats Rachel Carson (pollution) |
|
| Year 4 | States of matter Maria Telkes (solar power) |
Electricity Michael Faraday (invented electric motor) |
Sound Alexander Bell (inventor of telephone) |
Animals Including Humans Teeth/digestive system Washington Sheffield (toothpaste) |
Living Things and Their Habitats Rachel Carson (pollution) |
|
| Year 5 | Living things and their habitats David Attenborough (naturist) |
Earth & Space Margaret Hamilton (on board flight software) Maggie Aderin-Pocock (British space scientist) |
Properties and changes of materials Stephanie Kwolek (plastic) |
Forces Isaac Newton (force) |
||
| Year 6 | Electricity Steve Jobs (mobile phone/computers |
Light Thomas Edison (lightbulb) |
Living Things and Their Habitats Carl Linnaeus (classification) |
Animals, Including Humans Dale Hale Williams (heart surgery) |
Evolution & Inheritance Charles Darwin and Alfred Wallace (theory of evolution) |
|
Green indicates compulsory scientist study
Purple indicates any required ‘curriculum catch up’ from 2020/2021
These units are planned in conjunction with the science progression map, which signposts essential prior knowledge and ensures the careful sequencing of learning, in adherence to the National Curriculum.
Pupils have access to the following Science opportunities to develop their love of Science:
- Weekly science club to develop Science capital. Through attending the club, children are trained in their roles as Science Ambassadors and these children help maintain the lab, promote Science, talk to visitors and represent the school;
- Science Week is a yearly event at Thornbury and is planned to address and developed the needs of our young scientists, alongside the national theme. In 2021, we focussed on science careers and the impact of Covid on the work of people who work in Science or Science related careers.
- A fully resourced science lab, which is used to teach science and prepare children for their next step in their Science educational journey.