At Broom Barns School, we are dedicated to inspiring a genuine passion for science in our children and help them recognise its relevance in our everyday lives. We aim to nurture their natural curiosity by encouraging them to ask both ‘big’ and ‘small’ questions as they explore the world around them. Whether investigating the forces of gravity, the principles of evolution, or the behaviour of light, we aim to equip our children with a strong foundation in the fundamental scientific concepts that shape the world we live in.
Our science lessons encourage the development of children’s natural curiosity about the world. We provide children with the opportunity to ask thoughtful, challenging questions, think about the best way of finding out the answers to these questions and engage in hands-on learning experiences. It is through five types of scientific enquiry that this is achieved:
• Observing patterns over time
• Identifying, classifying, and grouping
• Using secondary research
• Looking for patterns
• Conducting fair and comparative tests
Teachers support children to develop their ‘working scientifically’ skills in every lesson.
For Key Stage 1, this involves the children asking simple questions and recognising that they can find out the answers in different ways. Children will perform simple tests, observe closely using simple equipment and record their findings. They will then use their observations and ideas to suggest answers to questions.
In Years 3 and 4, the children are taught how to set up simple practical enquiries and begin to make some decisions about which types of scientific enquiry would be most effective. They begin to conduct fair tests, make systematic observations, take accurate measurements using standard units, use a range of equipment, record their findings using simple scientific language, through drawings, labelled diagrams, bar charts, tables, and finally, they learn how to use their results to draw simple conclusions.
In Years 5 and 6, the children’s ‘working scientifically’ skills are further developed. They are now encouraged to independently plan different types of scientific enquiries to answer questions, including recognising and controlling variables where necessary. When taking measurements, children will use a range of scientific equipment confidently, with increasing accuracy and precision, and are taught to take repeat readings where appropriate. The children record data and results of increasing complexity using scientific diagrams and a range of graphs. They are taught how to use their results to set up further comparative and fair tests, and present and explain their findings in both oral and written form.
Please see the Termly Class Curriculum Letter for the science topics your child is learning each term.
