SCIENCE at FOREST HILLS
TEACHING SCIENCE IN SCHOOL
Our science Curriculum aims to enable children to understand the world around them through a scientific lens. In doing so, we look to ensure that pupils are well-equipped to go forth into their secondary education and later life with curiosity, passion and a desire for discovery. We do this by using the PKC curriculum as the vehicle for our scientific learning in school.
Pupils will be taught units of work that cover and go beyond the requirements of the National Curriculum. As a result, pupils gain a deep understanding of science as a unique discipline, constituting of the three strands of biology, chemistry and physics. Alongside this, pupils will also encounter a series of units that develop their understanding of earth science, developing their understanding of environment and sustainability.
Pupils will build a body of key foundational science knowledge as they work through the curriculum, asking questions and developing a sense of curiosity about the world around us through a curriculum that builds knowledge incrementally.
Pupils have multiple opportunities to secure and build upon their knowledge by revisiting subject content at carefully sequenced points throughout the curriculum. By building upon their knowledge in a cumulative manner, we ensure pupils secure a greater breadth and depth in their understanding of scientific knowledge, skills and the discipline of science. This progression helps children to master the knowledge and concepts whilst simultaneously building up an extended subject-specific vocabulary that enables them to communicate their knowledge.
To complement this, pupils will also develop their understanding of the five types of scientific enquiry: observing over time; pattern-seeking; identifying, classifying and grouping; comparative and fair testing; and researching using secondary sources. Scientific enquiries will provide children with a wealth of opportunities to explore what they have learnt.
Pupils will also encounter people who have made significant contributions to the field of science over time, learning that science has been a quest for understanding for many years, and will continue to be so in the future. They learn that the people who have contributed to science, from Ancient Baghdad to Ancient Rome and beyond, are diverse and many voices make up the history of scientific enquiry. For example, pupils learn about the work of scientists such as Lewis Howard Latimer, who invented the carbon filament that allowed Edison’s lightbulb to light up the world, and Jabir ibn Hayyan, who is thought to have invented a crucial tool for the distillation process: the alembic.
WHY IS SCIENCE IMPORTANT TO OUR CHILDREN?
Hugo Year 1
“I love Science. We have learned about the human body and how to keep healthy.”
Daisy Year 3
“In Science you learn about everything in the world. I enjoy learning about living things and how they stay alive.”
Chester Year 4
“Science is my favourite subject. I really enjoy the electricity unit and I made a circuit. When the bulb lit up, I knew I had done well.”
Science in EYFS
In Early Years, there are opportunities planned in the environment for children to understand ‘the natural world’. We learn about Science in our topic work and we also have a growing area where we plant and look after flowers and other plants.