Science

At Paddox Primary School, we believe that Science is essential in helping children to understand the world around them. Through engaging, practical and meaningful learning experiences, we inspire curiosity, encourage questioning and develop a lifelong interest in Science.

We aim to equip children with the knowledge, skills and understanding they need to make sense of the natural and physical world. We nurture children’s natural curiosity and encourage them to think scientifically by asking questions, making observations, carrying out enquiries and drawing conclusions based on evidence.

Our Science curriculum is carefully sequenced through the disciplines of biology, chemistry and physics, ensuring that knowledge and skills build progressively from EYFS to Year 6. Key scientific concepts are revisited and developed throughout a child’s journey through school, enabling pupils to strengthen prior learning, make meaningful connections and deepen their scientific understanding.

We place great importance on the explicit teaching of scientific vocabulary so that children can communicate their ideas confidently and accurately. Through practical investigations and enquiry-based learning, pupils develop the skills needed to predict, test, evaluate and explain scientific concepts.

In EYFS, scientific learning is developed primarily through the ‘Understanding the World’ area of learning. Children are encouraged to explore, observe, question and investigate the world around them through first-hand experiences and play-based learning. They explore plants, animals, materials, seasonal change and forces, providing strong foundations for future learning in science.

The skills associated with Working Scientifically are embedded throughout the curriculum and are closely linked to the ‘Characteristics of Effective Learning’: Playing and Exploring, Active Learning, and Creating and Thinking Critically. Children are encouraged to make observations, identify similarities and differences, ask questions, notice patterns and communicate their ideas about the world around them.

In Key Stage 1 and 2, our Science curriculum enables all children to develop scientific knowledge and enquiry skills through a broad range of learning experiences. Through our mastery approach, all learners are given the opportunity to succeed. We encourage children to work independently, make links between their learning and the world around them, and apply their scientific understanding in new and meaningful contexts.

Working Scientifically skills are explicitly taught and applied through a range of enquiry types, including observing over time, identifying and classifying, pattern seeking, comparative and fair testing, and research using secondary sources. Children are encouraged to plan investigations, evaluate evidence and communicate their findings using accurate scientific vocabulary.

Our vision is for all children to see themselves as scientists. We want every child to leave Paddox Primary School with a secure understanding of key scientific concepts, a curiosity about the world around them and the confidence to question, investigate and think critically. We aim to prepare our pupils for the opportunities and challenges of an increasingly scientific and technological world.