Science

Our Big Ideas

Discovering how our world works.

At our school, we believe science is all about curiosity — noticing things, asking questions, and exploring the amazing world around us. Our Big Idea for Primary Science is:

Science helps us understand the world so we can make informed choices for the future.

Through investigating the natural world, pupils learn how living things, environments and scientific ideas connect, fostering respect for diversity in nature and a responsibility for sustainable choices.

Our Approach

We learn by exploring and investigating: children carry out practical enquiries, make predictions, test ideas, and use evidence to explain what they discover.
We understand the world around us: from plants to animals to forces, materials and space, pupils learn how science explains everyday life and the wider universe.
We think scientifically: children develop skills such as observing closely, measuring carefully, spotting patterns, and drawing conclusions based on evidence.
We see how science shapes our lives: pupils learn about real scientists, past and present, and discover how scientific ideas and inventions have changed the world - and how it might change next.

Our teachers use Developing Experts to support them in their teaching so children can see real scientists in role, explaining their ideas and methods. New learning is built upon the learning and skills of the previous years and regular revisits and retrieval sessions are planned into a lesson sequence so that pupils can embed learning. Pupils are able and encouraged to work scientifically in most lessons and are assessed on these skills half termly, along with their substantive knowledge.

Curriculum Overview

	Autumn 1	Autumn 2	Spring 1	Spring 2	Summer 1	Summer 2
F1	Responding to children’s interests and needs through continuous provision and enhancements
F2	Cooking – how things change		Space, Growing, Weather		Dinosaurs Cooking – irreversible changes
1/2 Cycle A	Animals Including Humans – All About Me	Exploring Everyday Materials (1)	Animals Including Humans – About Animals	Introduction to Plants	Uses of Everyday Materials (2)	Seasonal Changes
1/2 Cycle B	Use of Everyday Materials	Animals Including Humans – Growth (1)	Animals Including Humans – Life Cycles (2)	Living Things and Their Habitats	Living things and their habitats – Habitats Around the World	Plants – Growth and Care
3/4 Cycle A	Forces and Magnets	Animals Including Humans – What Makes Us	Light	Rocks	Plants – Life Cycles	Scientific Enquiry
3/4 Cycle B	Sound	Classifying Living Things and Their Habitats	States of Matter	Animals Including Humans – Food & Digestion/ Teeth	Electricity	Living Things and Their Habitats - Conservation
Year 5	Changes of Materials	Earth and Space	Forces	Animals Including Humans – The Human Life Cycle	Studying Living Things	Properties of Materials
Year 6	Living Things and Their Habitats	Electricity	Evolution and Inheritance	Animals Including Humans – Health and Circulatory System	Looking after the environment	Light

Learning at Home

Science is all around us and children can enjoy continuing their learning in many ways. These include science events at Strelley Library and other city libraries, take part in FOSAC which takes place each February around the city and visit museums such as Wollaton Hall and Greens Mill. There are many websites which give great ideas to continue your learning at home.

Stem Learning at Home

Science Museum

Science Sparks