Science
Curriculum Leader: Jess Harrison
Miss Harrison is our Science Leader and is responsible for this curriculum area. This means ensuring we teach an ambitious curriculum, supporting our teachers to implement our curriculum through high-quality lessons and checking that lessons are helping our children to know more, remember more and do more.
Intent
The intent of our science curriculum at Chiltern Primary School is to provide our pupils with a broad and balanced education, enabling them to develop a deep appreciation and understanding of science. We want our pupils to become curious and creative thinkers who are equipped with the skills and knowledge to explore the world around them, engaging in scientific inquiry and understanding the impact of science on their everyday lives.
Our intent aligns with the national curriculum for science and aims to cultivate a passion for scientific exploration through a rich and engaging curriculum. We believe that every child has the potential to excel in science, and we are committed to fostering an inclusive and supportive environment that enables all pupils to thrive.
Implementation
Our science curriculum is carefully planned and sequenced to ensure progression of knowledge and skills. We follow the national curriculum and use a variety of resources and teaching strategies to make science exciting and accessible to all learners.
Curricular planning
Our curriculum is designed to cover all areas of science, including biology, chemistry, and physics. We ensure that each topic is carefully planned and delivered over a suitable period, allowing for in-depth exploration and consolidation of learning. Our long-term plan reflects the sequence of topics, ensuring a logical and coherent progression across year groups.
Practical and investigative approach
We believe in a hands-on approach to science education. Practical experiments and investigations are embedded within our curriculum to enable pupils to develop essential scientific skills, such as observation, data collection, and analysis. We provide opportunities for pupils to work collaboratively, fostering their communication and teamwork skills while engaging in scientific inquiry.
Cross-curricular links
We actively seek opportunities to make cross-curricular connections, integrating science with other subjects to enhance pupils' learning experiences. For example, linking science with English through scientific writing or with mathematics through data analysis and measurement. This approach helps pupils understand the relevance of science across different disciplines and encourages them to apply scientific knowledge in a wider context.
Assessment and feedback
Assessment in science is an ongoing process that informs our teaching and identifies pupils' individual needs. We use a range of assessment methods, including formative and summative assessment, to track progress and tailor our teaching accordingly. Feedback is provided to pupils, highlighting their strengths and areas for development. We encourage self-reflection and self-assessment so that pupils can take ownership of their learning.
Continuous professional development (CPD)
Our staff members receive regular CPD opportunities to enhance their subject knowledge and pedagogical skills in teaching science. We encourage collaboration and sharing of best practices among our staff to continually improve the delivery of our science curriculum.
Pupil engagement and enjoyment
We believe that enjoyment is crucial to fostering a love for science. Our engaging practical lessons, hands-on experiences, and stimulating resources capture our pupils' imagination, making science exciting and enjoyable. Pupil voice surveys consistently reflect high levels of engagement and enthusiasm for science lessons.
Equity and inclusion
Our curriculum promotes equity and inclusion by providing equal opportunities for all pupils to engage with science. We actively challenge stereotypes, ensure that resources and teaching strategies are inclusive, and create a safe and welcoming learning environment. We celebrate diversity and value the contributions of all pupils, fostering a positive attitude towards science for all learners.
Aspirations for future education and careers
Through our outstanding science curriculum, we aim to inspire and nurture the next generation of scientists. Pupils develop an understanding of the relevance and impact of science on society, cultivating aspirations for future careers in scientific fields. We provide opportunities for external visits, collaborations with STEM professionals, and participation in science competitions to further ignite pupils' passion and aspirations.
Units of Learning
Year 1 - Autumn
Everyday Materials
This project teaches children that objects are made from materials. They identify a range of everyday materials and their sources. Children investigate the properties of materials and begin to recognise that a material's properties define its use.
Year 1 - Autumn
Human Senses
This project teaches children that humans are a type of animal, known as a mammal. They name body parts and recognise common structures between humans and other animals. They learn about the senses, the body parts associated with each sense and their role in keeping us safe.
Year 1 - Spring
Seasonal Changes
This project teaches children about the seasons, seasonal changes and typical seasonal weather and events. They learn about measuring the weather and the role of a meteorologist. Children begin to learn about the science of day and night and recognise that the seasons have varying day lengths in the UK.
Year 1 - Summer
Plant Parts
This project teaches children about wild and garden plants by exploring the local environment. They identify and describe the basic parts of plants and observe how they change over time.
Year 1 - Summer
Animal Parts
This project teaches children about animals, including fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds, mammals and invertebrates. They identify and describe their common structures, diets, and how animals should be cared for.
Year 2 - Autumn
Muck, Mess & Mixtures
This project develops children’s knowledge of how to mix colours and apply materials to create unique pieces of art.
Year 2 - Autumn
Human Survival
This project teaches children about the basic needs of humans for survival, including the importance of exercise, nutrition and good hygiene. They learn how human offspring grow and change over time into adulthood.
Year 2 - Spring
Plant Survival
This project teaches children about the growth of plants from seeds and bulbs. They observe the growth of plants firsthand, recording changes over time and identifying what plants need to grow and stay healthy.
Year 2 - Spring
Habitats
This project teaches children about habitats and what a habitat needs to provide. They explore local habitats to identify and name living things and begin to understand how they depend on one another for food and shelter.
Year 2 - Summer
Animal Survival
This project teaches children about growth in animals by exploring the life cycles of some familiar animals. They build on learning about the survival of humans by identifying the basic needs of animals for survival, including food, water, air and shelter.
Year 3 - Autumn
Animal Nutrition and the Skeletal System
This project teaches children about the importance of nutrition for humans and other animals. They learn about the role of a skeleton and muscles and identify animals with different types of skeleton.
Year 3 - Spring
Forces & Magnets
This project teaches children about contact and non-contact forces, including friction and magnetism. They investigate frictional and magnetic forces, and identify parts of a magnet and magnetic materials.
Year 3 - Summer
Plant Nutrition & Reproduction
This project teaches children about the requirements of plants for growth and survival. They describe the parts of flowering plants and relate structure to function, including the roots and stem for transporting water, leaves for making food and the flower for reproduction.
Year 3 - Summer
Light & Shadows
This project teaches children about light and dark. They investigate the phenomena of reflections and shadows, looking for patterns in collected data. The risks associated with the Sun are also explored.
Year 4 - Autumn
Digestive System
This project teaches children about the human digestive system. They explore the main parts, starting with the mouth and teeth, identifying teeth types and their functions. They link this learning to animals' diets and construct food chains to show the flow of energy.
Year 4 - Autumn
Sound
This project teaches children about sound and how sounds are made and travel as vibrations through a medium to the ear. They learn about pitch and volume and find out how both can be changed.
Year 4 - Spring
States of Matter
This project teaches children about solids, liquids and gases and their characteristic properties. They observe how materials change state as they are heated and cooled, and learn key terminology associated with these processes.
Year 4 - Spring
Grouping & Classifying
This project teaches children about grouping living things, known as classification. They study the animal and plant kingdoms and use and create classification keys to identify living things.
Year 4 - Summer
Electrical Circuits & Conductors
This project teaches children about electrical appliances and safety. They construct simple series circuits and name their parts and functions, including switches, wires and cells. They investigate electrical conductors and insulators and identify common features of conductors. It also teaches children about programmable devices. They combine their learning to design and make a nightlight.
Year 5 - Autumn
Forces & Mechanisms
This project teaches children about the forces of gravity, air resistance, water resistance and friction, with children exploring their effects. They learn about mechanisms, their uses and how they allow a smaller effort to have a greater effect.
Year 5 - Autumn
Earth & Space
This project teaches children about our Solar System and its spherical bodies. They describe the movements of Earth and other planets relative to the Sun, the Moon relative to Earth and the Earth's rotation to explain day and night.
Year 5 - Spring
Properties & Changes of Materials
This project teaches children about the wider properties of materials and their uses. They learn about mixtures and how they can be separated using sieving, filtration and evaporation. They study reversible and irreversible changes, and use common indicators to identify irreversible changes.
Year 5 - Summer
Human Reproduction & Ageing
This project teaches children about animal life cycles, including the human life cycle. They explore human growth and development to old age, including the changes experienced during puberty and human reproduction.
Year 6 - Autumn
The Circulatory System
This project teaches children about the transport role of the human circulatory system, its main parts and primary functions. They learn about healthy lifestyle choices and the effects of harmful substances on the body.
Year 6 - Spring
Electrical Circuits & Components
This project teaches children about electrical circuits, their components and how they function. They recognise how the voltage of cells affects the output of a circuit and record circuits using standard symbols. It also teaches children about programmable devices, sensors and monitoring. They combine their learning to design and make programmable home devices.
Year 6 - Summer
Light Theory
This project teaches children about the way that light behaves, travelling in straight lines from a source or reflector, into the eye. They explore how we see light and colours, and phenomena associated with light, including shadows, reflections and refraction.
Year 6 - Summer
Evolution & Inheritance
This project teaches children how living things on Earth have changed over time and how fossils provide evidence for this. They learn how characteristics are passed from parents to their offspring and how variation in offspring can affect their survival, with changes (adaptations) possibly leading to the evolution of a species.