Science

Intent

At Balfour Infant School we promote a curiosity of the world and a love of enquiry and a desire to explore. Children are encouraged to question and enquire about what they see and observe. Our curriculum aims to challenge their prior knowledge making them use what they have observed to build predictions, make links and draw conclusions. We believe in making Science practical and having first hand experiences and investigations.

Aims

• To develop pupils’ enjoyment and interest in science and an appreciation of its contribution to all aspects of everyday life
• To build on pupils’ curiosity and sense of awe of the natural world
• To use a planned range of investigations and practical activities to give pupils a greater understanding of the concepts and knowledge of science
• To introduce pupils to the language and vocabulary of science
• To develop pupils’ basic practical skills and their ability to make accurate and appropriate measurements
• To develop pupils’ use of Computing in their science studies.
• To extend the learning environment for our pupils via our outdoor areas
• To promote a ‘healthy lifestyle’ in our pupils.

Implementation

At Balfour Infant School we follow the ‘Developing Experts’ schemes of work. The scheme of work is in line with the National Curriculum where teaching and learning shows progression within the strands of Science. Children have access to key vocabulary and meanings in order to understand and communicate their skills and understanding. Each unit encourage the children to make predictions, hypothesise, investigate, ask questions, and analyse results to make clear links between the investigation and their new knowledge.

 Pupils will be involved in a variety of structured activities and in more open-ended investigative work:

• activities to develop good observational skills
• practical activities using measuring instruments which develop pupils’ ability to read scales accurately
• structured activities to develop understanding of a scientific concept
• Open-ended investigations.

Impact

The impact our Science curriculum is to ensure that all pupils will be able to acquire the appropriate age related knowledge and skills. This will be seen through learning walks, displays, book looks, the learning journey book, photographic evidence and Pupil Voice. We would love for our children to feel confident to use their scientific skills to explore a range of opportunities and have a clear understanding of the key scientific concepts.

What do our children think of Science at Balfour Infant School?

Year R child: “I liked learning about the pumpkins. I scooped out the seeds and you can eat those and cook them!”

Year One child: “We learnt about animals that hibernate, that means the animals sleep.”

Year Two child: “Science has taught me about keeping healthy and exercise. “