Science at The Bay

Through science teaching and learning at The Bay we aim to:

• Encourage the development of positive attitudes to science.
• Deliver the National Curriculum Science orders in ways that are imaginative, purposeful, well controlled and enjoyable.
• Help in developing and extending the children’s scientific concept of their world and encourage them to ask deeper questions about the world around them.
• Deliver clear and accurate teacher explanations and skilful questioning. Providing guidance but at the same time allowing children the freedom to explore as independently as possible.
• Make strong, purposeful links between science and other subjects. Using ICT in a meaningful way to extend their learning (Data Loggers, video, photography, microscopes and telescopes).
• Develop the use of scientific language, recording and techniques.
• Enable children to become effective communicators of scientific ideas, facts and data, whilst becoming experts at analysing the data they collect.
• Develop the following skills of investigation – observation, measuring, predicting, hypothesising, experimenting, communicating and interpreting.

Intent

Science is a body of knowledge built up through experimental testing of ideas. Science is also methodology, a practical way of finding reliable answers to questions we may ask about the world around us. Through our science curriculum, we aim to inspire and encourage children to ask questions about the world around them. We aim to develop children’s scientific skills, enabling them to become collaborative and critical thinkers, who challenge themselves to follow different enquiry types, whilst building resilience. Our curriculum inspires a love of life-long learning, looking at both scientific skills and knowledge, to begin and encourage pupils to strive to excel in everything they do.

Implementation

In line with the National Curriculum, science teaching across the school will change in terms of topics taught and expected skills to be mastered at each stage. We teach science discreetly as a lesson each week. A baseline is carried out at the beginning of each new topic to assess what children already know, this informs planning. Children will produce a final piece of work which will assess the progress made through the unit of work.

The school holds a whole school science learning experience each year (British Science week) whereby all year groups study a similar theme. All children will experience the same hook and produce a final product that shows progression across the school. We use the local area as much as possible to enhance science teaching and plan trips to improve progression where necessary. At The Bay, we follow the SNAP science schemes of work to ensure consistency in science planning and teaching throughout the school. Pupils are given the opportunity to investigate using hands on science often and have access to a range of high quality resources.  Our science curriculum is collaborative, cross-curricular and encourages problem solving skills.

Impact

The impact of our Science curriculum will be shown through pupil achievement and pupil enjoyment. Our pupils will be assessed through teacher assessment, this is recorded at each assessment milestone on SIMs. Pupils are assessed against their knowledge and also their investigative skills. Pupils at The Bay have a good understanding of key scientific vocabulary and are able to use this to explain their thinking. As children progress through the school, they are able to analyse data and evaluate results systematically and accurately.

What pupils say about Science at The Bay

“I really enjoyed planting our seeds and investigating which one would grow the most.  I predicted that the one in the dark wouldn’t grow because it needed sunlight!”

“The practical activity with the different magnets was so much fun.”

“It is interesting to test our predictions and find out who was correct.”

Curriculum Information

Click here for Whole school science overview 

Click here for EYFS Skills Progression

Click here for Biology (Animals) Yr 1-6 Knowledge Progression

Click here for Biology (Plants) Yr 1-6 Knowledge Progression

Click here for Biology (Variation and Evolution) Yr 1-6 Knowledge Progression

Click here for Chemistry (Materials) Yr 1-6 Knowledge Progression

Click here for Physics (Earth and Space) Yr 1-6 Knowledge Progression

Click here for Physics (Electricity) Yr 1-6 Knowledge Progression

Click here for Physics (Energy Pathways) Yr 1-6 Knowledge Progression

Click here for Physics (Forces) Yr 1-6 Knowledge Progression

Useful Links 

https://www.stem.org.uk/primary/resources

https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/subjects/z7nygk7

https://www.science-sparks.com/

https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/

https://www.youtube.com/user/TheSpanglerEffect

https://www.rigb.org/learning/activities-and-resources?type=28

News

March 2023

Click here to read more about Science Week. 

During Science on Wednesday, Year 5 investigated reversible and non-reversible changes. They used a variety of different chemicals to determine if they had made a simple mixture or if a chemical change had occurred which produced a new substance. We were all surprised to see how quickly one of the reactions produces carbon dioxide gas. Fantastic scientists!

February 2023

January 2023

Hi everyone,

I am looking after Science for the Bay whilst Miss Stay is off school on Maternity leave. In March, it is British Science Week where we will be taking part in many fantastic science activities across the school. From this week onwards, I will be putting a weekly fun science experiment into the newsletter for you to complete at home with your families! This week, there is an amazing experiment linking to lollipop sticks and little pom poms. 

Please email in pictures and videos of your children enjoying this brilliant experiment which will then be passed onto myself - I look forward to seeing all of these!

Hope you all have a fantastic and safe weekend with your families.

Mr Donald

September 2022

Year 5 have been learning about gravity and air resistance. They built their own parachute system to safely land eggs. They timed how long it took for the parachutes to drop to determine the most effective parachute which had the most air resistance. Three eggs survived but there were a few casualties!

Science Week