Science is a body of knowledge, which is built up through experimental testing of ideas. It is a practical way of finding reliable answers to questions we may ask about the world around us.

The aims of primary science can be broadly divided into two categories:
• to stimulate pupils’ curiosity in the world around them and encourage critical and creative thinking;
• to create a foundation for science at secondary school.

To fulfil these aims, pupils need to acquire both factual knowledge and the skills of scientific enquiry: identifying questions that can be addressed scientifically; planning and carrying out experiments; evaluating data; and recognising the limitations of their own and others’ work. Children learn to ask scientific questions and begin to appreciate the way science will affect their future on a personal, national, and global level.

Science is a core subject in the National Curriculum. At St Margaret’s, Science is taught as a discrete subject. The school uses the National Curriculum for science as the basis of its curriculum planning and the ‘New Star Science’ published scheme to provide the details of our planning; however teachers also tailor the content to suit the interest of our pupils and the resources available. Cross- curricular links are made wherever possible to enrich the science curriculum.

Children learn about three areas of scientific knowledge:
• Life processes and living things – including human health and nutrition; plant nutrition; classification of animal and plants; the habitats of animal and plants.
• Materials and their properties – including how materials can be used; how they can change (burning, freezing, boiling); and how they can be mixed and separated.
• Physical processes – including electric circuits; forces; how light and sound travel; and astronomy.

The areas of scientific knowledge are taught in tandem with the skills of scientific enquiry. Good scientific enquiry should build on children’s existing knowledge, interests and ideas; link to everyday contexts; and encourage discussion.

At St. Margaret’s we use a variety of teaching and learning styles in science lesson. Our principal aim is to develop children’s knowledge, skills and understanding. Sometimes we do this through whole-class teaching, whilst at other times we engage the children in an enquiry-based research activity. We encourage the children to ask, as well as answer, scientific questions. They have the opportunity to use a variety of data, such as statistics graphs, pictures and photographs. They use I.C.T. in science lessons where it enhances their learning. They take part in role-play and discussions, and they present reports to the rest of the class. Wherever possible, we involve the pupils in ‘real’ scientific activities, for example researching an environmental problem or carrying out a practical experiment and analysing the results.

We recognise that there are children of widely different scientific abilities in all classes and we ensure that we provide suitable learning opportunities for children by matching the challenge of the task to the ability of the child. We achieve this in a variety of ways by:
• setting common tasks which are open-ended and can have a variety of responses,
• setting work of increasing difficulty (we do not expect all children to complete all tasks),
• grouping children by ability and setting different tasks for each ability group,
• providing resources of different complexity, matched to the ability of the child,
• using classroom assistants, where such support is available, to support the work of individual children or groups of children.

We teach science in nursery and reception as an integral part of the topic work covered throughout the year. Children tend to be enthusiastic towards science at a young age, as they explore the world around them.

A useful website, with many short video clips to support scientific learning, is:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/learningzone/clips/topics/primary.shtml#science