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.