At Southmead Primary School our science curriculum encourages children to wonder, and discover the world around them. Our children learn to appreciate the diversity of the world we live in, to take an interest in global issues affecting the world’s changing environments and the dangers these pose to living things, and understand what they each can do to respect and protect our planet.

All children at Southmead are provided the opportunities to secure and extend their scientific knowledge and scientific vocabulary. Right from EYFS, our curriculum prepares our youngest children to begin to look more closely at the natural and humanly constructed world around them. Children are well practised at being curious and in asking questions about what they notice by the time they finish KS1. In LKS2 children are encouraged to make some decisions about which types of scientific enquiry are the best ways in which to find answers to questions and begin to explore comparative and fair testing as well as draw upon their own conclusions. Our UKS2 children will construct a deeper understanding of a wide range of scientific concepts in their final years at Southmead; they will use scientific argument to clarify their thinking, justify their ideas using evidence and reasoning and evaluate evidence based on scientific conclusions.

At Southmead, we follow the knowledge and skills progression laid out in the National Curriculum. Each unit of science in our long-term plan contains a clear progression of knowledge and, across the course of the year, all working scientifically skills will be covered.  Science is taught weekly, ensuring enough time is given to deepen all children’s understanding of the knowledge or skill being taught. 

Scientific enquiry is promoted within each lesson and embedded throughout the knowledge curriculum. From Early Years to Year 6 Science is taught through practical, investigative opportunities, and exciting, hands-on experience. We plan opportunities for the children to use secondary sources where appropriate, such as books, photographs and videos.  Many planned practical experiences provide the children with opportunities to work collaboratively in teams – to discuss, evaluate, re-interpret and modify ideas.   

We teach key scientific vocabulary in all lessons and children are encouraged to use it in their written work and spoken language. We adapt lessons to ensure children with special educational needs are able to work towards and achieve the learning objective. For the more able children, each lesson provides a greater depth challenge. We assess our children’s knowledge and understanding at the beginning, during and end of a topic to ensure that children are making progress with their learning. 

Across the course of the year children will have access to either a trip or a workshop directly related to their science topic. Having membership access to the Association of Science Education (ASE), as well as to ReachOut CPD,  TigTag, TigTag Junior and Explorify adds to the enrichment of children’s experiences and affords staff with regular and up-to-date CPD.  

Each year, we plan and deliver an exciting cross-curricular Science Week during which we encourage our whole school community to get involved. We encourage visits from local university students, studying within the areas STEAM and science ambassadors currently working in scientific careers across the country. As a school, we inspire and engage our children by celebrating local and national scientists from all walks of life through weekly science lessons and enrichment opportunities.