At Fetcham Village Infant School, we provide children with a progressive and exciting science curriculum which inspires them to develop a lifelong love and curiosity for the world around them. We would like to support our children to be curious learners, to have the confidence to explore and to be the next generation of scientists. In our whole school commitment to achieve this, we aim to:

• provide an engaging and practical learning environment, which is progressive across all year groups. Our science curriculum aims to build the foundations for understanding the world, through the disciplines of biology, chemistry and physics

• develop a sense of excitement and curiosity about natural phenomena and allow children to explore their own and other’s ideas through active engagement in learning experiences

• enable children to play, have opportunities to explore, observe, investigate, repeat, problem solve and represent and make sense of themselves and their world 

• provide children with first-hand, meaningful activities which they can relate to their own experiences and interests 

• provide opportunities for children to develop knowledge and understanding of key scientific ideas

• develop an awareness and sensitivity to the living and non-living environment by accessing the outside environment

• develop a responsibility for their own health and safety and that of others when undertaking scientific activities

•  get children thinking and acting as young scientists, carrying out their own experiments, inferring their own conclusions and understanding the relevance of their discoveries to the world in which they live

• support children to be equipped to meet the changes and challenges in their life ahead

• encourage our children to be inquisitive and interested

• most importantly, we aim to make science fun!

All children will be given a wide range of opportunities for investigation, experimentation and evaluation, so that they will develop a lasting interest in scientific discovery, understanding and knowledge.

Our high quality science education will provide the foundations for understanding the world through the disciplines of biology, chemistry and physics. We believe that science is a vital element in a child’s education; enhancing respect, understanding and a growing awareness of their world and future sustainability issues we face. 

Our science curriculum will enable children to acquire knowledge about:-

• Scientific enquiry

• Life and living processes

• Materials and their properties

• Physical processes

• Related Scientific vocabulary 

• Scientists through history

Our science curriculum will enable children to develop scientific enquiry skills in:-

• Asking questions and exploring possible answers

• Observing changes over time, noticing patterns and using simple equipment 

• Making comparisons and discussing similarities and differences

• Estimating and testing 

• Identifying, naming, grouping and classifying

• Suggesting answers to questions

• Gathering  and recording data

• Using secondary sources of information to gather information

Effective Teaching and Learning of science

As a core subject, science has a high priority in our school and is covered through:-

• full coverage of the science National Curriculum and the EYFS Curriculum.

• carefully planned sequences of learning, which consolidate pupil understanding and allows them to put into practise what they have learnt.

• practical lessons which allow the children to develop their scientific skills in a safe environment.

• taking the opportunity to learn in our extensive outdoor learning environment, both of our own school and wider locations. 

• providing progressive, relevant, differentiated by support and challenge, evaluation and assessment, validated by appropriate record keeping.

• responding to pupils’ diverse learning needs.

• supporting pupils to overcome potential barriers to learning, such as mobility, manipulative skills, vision or hearing, so that they can participate as fully and as safely as possible in experimental work.

• active scientific experiences in the Early Years, taking account of the EYFS Curriculum Guidance.

• displaying scientific vocabulary and modelling stem sentences in discussions so that children use this when communicating their understanding. 

• creating learning environments which facilitate effective learning and the constant promotion of the subject throughout the whole school. 

• using focused talk, allowing the children to verbalise and discuss their understanding. 

• teachers model and use stem sentences to scaffold the learning and draw out key concepts. 

• encouraging teachers to use innovative and creative lesson formats to engage children, using both inside and outdoor learning opportunities. 

• storing well organised and high quality Science resources centrally so all staff can easily access them.

Our approach results in an engaging and active education that provides children with high-quality scientific skills, knowledge and understanding. Teachers observe children’s knowledge and progression through questioning, listening to group discussions and the written work that children produce.Our frequent use of the Outside area ensures that children learn about the world around them through first hand experiences. Using our carefully planned and well sequenced lessons, children develop the understanding of how science and scientists have changed our world and how important they are in our everyday lives. As our children engage in a range of styles and areas of learning, as well as research topics, their understanding is nurtured and grows. The children gain insight through their experiences and these in turn, form part of a memorable and relevant part of their Scientific development. 

Below, you will find our Science Curriculum Map which details what is taught across the school in Science, by each year.

Please also use the Knowledge Organisers, a useful resource to find out what vocabulary and learning activities the children will be carrying out. 

For more information on Science, or for activities to try at home please click on the following links:

Learn to be an astronaut with NASA

BBC Bitesize Science

Oak National Academy Science Online

Early Years Listen and Play

The Science Museum Games and Apps

Please do contact Mrs Coles through the school office for further information on our Science curriculum.