At St Peter’s Academy, Alton our vision is to engage the natural curiosity of our pupils, to ignite a passion for exploring and discovering the world around them with confidence, so that they have a deeper understanding of the world we live in.
We believe in a hands on approach to science with exciting practical, explorative and investigative lessons at the heart of our curriculum.
Through this type of learning we aim to foster a thirst for knowledge and confident life-long learners.
We recognise the importance of science in every aspect of daily life. As one of the core subjects, we give the teaching of science the prominence it requires. We aim to equip pupils with knowledge, skills and understanding and to encourage children to be inquisitive throughout their time at St Peter’s. Throughout the programmes of study, the children will acquire and develop the key knowledge that has been identified within each unit and across each year group. We will ensure that the Working Scientifically skills are built-on and developed throughout children’s time at the school so that they can apply their knowledge of science when using equipment, building arguments and explaining concepts confidently. We will encourage them to continue asking questions and to be curious about the world around them.
Early Years Foundation Stage
In the Foundation Stage, children are taught Science through the key area of learning set out within the EYFS Statutory Framework.
Through a broad range of teacher-led, child-initiated and continuous learning opportunities, children will be taught to:
Key Stage 1 and Lower Key Stage 2
In Key Stage 1 and Lower Key Stage 2 Science is taught by the Science Co-ordinator. This ensures that the quality of Science teaching throughout these Key Stages remains consistent. Science is taught every week for 2 hours with additional sessions being taught where and when possible.
Science is taught in planned and arranged blocks. This is a strategy to enable the achievement of a greater depth of knowledge. Through our planning, we involve problem solving opportunities that allow children to find out for themselves. Children are encouraged to ask their own questions and be given opportunities to use their scientific skills and research to discover the answers.
The heart of Science teaching at St Peter’s is our commitment to practical, explorative and investigative learning. We believe in a hands-on approach where children learn by doing it for themselves. This approach encourages our children to build resilience and become creative, critical thinkers.
Our teaching and learning supports our curriculum by ensuring that lessons build on prior learning and provide opportunities for guided and independent practice.
Regular events, such as Science Week, Science Fairs, project days or ‘Wow Days,’ allow all pupils to come off timetable, to provide broader provision and the acquisition and application of knowledge and skills.
The successful approach at St Peter’s results in a fun, engaging, high-quality science education that provides children with the foundations and knowledge for understanding the world. Our children love Science!
Children will know more, remember more and understand more about the curriculum. Children retain prior-learning and explicitly make connections between what they have previously learned and what they are currently learning.
All children will have:
Below are the progression documents used in school to ensure that the learning planned for the children builds upon their prior learning. We use these documents to assess the children’s understanding and attainment in all subjects and plan accordingly.
Living Things and Their Habitats
Helping Children Think and Talk like Scientists
At our school, we want every child to feel like a scientist – curious, confident, and excited to explore the world around them.
As part of our science curriculum we focus on two key approaches that help develop a deep understanding of scientific ideas:
We encourage children to use the correct scientific vocabulary in their learning. This includes words like, habitat, material, evaporation, or life-cycle – all introduced in a way that’s engaging.
Using this vocabulary helps children:
. Develop a clear understanding of scientific concepts.
. Explain their ideas confidently.
.Work together to solve problems and ask thoughtful questions.
By learning to ‘talk like a scientist,’ children begin to think like one too.
In every science topic, we introduce children to a real-life scientist or expert connected to what they’re learning. This helps children see how science applies to the real world – and how people from all walks of life contribute to our understanding of it.
For example, in our topic on living things and their habitats, we learn about Sir David Attenborough. Through his life’s work exploring the natural world, he has helped people everywhere understand how animals and plants live, grow, and depend on their environments. His documentaries inspire children to be curious about nature and to care for the planet.
These stories show children that they, too, can make discoveries and ask big questions – just like the scientists they’re learning about.
Why it Matters?
By combining expert vocabulary with real-life role models, we help children:
. Build a strong foundation in science.
. Develop key skills like observation, questioning, and explanation.
. See themselves as part of the scientific world.
We believe that early science education should spark wonder, build knowledge, and empower every child to explore the world with confidence.
Animals Including Humans - Digestion
Retrieval practice is a powerful learning strategy that helps pupils strengthen their memory and understanding. At St Peter’s, it involves regularly recalling previously learned information — through quick quizzes and discussions. It keeps knowledge fresh and builds long-term retention. By revisiting key concepts children develop confidence, deepen their learning, and make stronger connections between topics.
End Points are the vehicle for children to showcase the key knowledge and skills they have secured by the end of a unit. By knowing the intended outcomes, teachers deliver purposeful lessons, and pupils understand what success looks like as they build towards deeper understanding over time.
Our Key Knowledge Documents set out the essential facts, concepts, and vocabulary that teachers have identified as important for pupils to know by the end of each unit. They ensure that learning is focused, consistent, and builds progressively across the curriculum. These documents help children recall and apply key information with confidence, supporting a deeper understanding of each subject.
Living Things and Their Habitats
Please click on each year group for further information:
Please also see our Knowledge Mats - click here
Year A
Year A
Year B
Class 2 completed the term studying plants by creating our own fairy gardens. We have been growing grass all term and have had to give it many haircuts as it grew so quickly. We hope our fairies will appreciate all the things we worked hard to make them. Can you spot fairy tables, benches, swings, firepits and many other fairy items in our fairy gardens?
British Science Week Stem Home Challenge – Our children and parents rose admirably to the British Science Week Challenge to design and create a Hansel and Gretel house. We are always blown away by the creativity and skills of our children and this challenge did not disappoint. The challenge saw a wide range of designs and materials used. Well done to everyone who took part. We definitely think we have engineers and architects of the future in our school.
Science at Denstone College – Denstone College invited year 4 to join their science ambassadors for an afternoon of science investigation. The children made their own PH indicator using cabbage to make a red cabbage water indicator. They used this cabbage water indicator to check the PH level of a range of liquids to see if they were acid or alkaline. They also got to try out their artistic skills by painting, with an acidic and alkaline solution, on filter paper that had been soaked in red cabbage water.
It was a fantastic experience for year 4 and we impressed the science ambassadors at Denstone college with our scientific skills.
Racing Cars – Class 2 completed their work on vehicle wheels by making their own mini racing cars. We had lots of fun racing them against each other in our school hall.
Animal Aid Talk – We enjoyed a visit from Animal Aid. They talked to us about pets and wild animals, how we can look after them and care for them. We all need to be Animal Kind.
Gingerbread Biscuit Experiment – The children in Class 1 carried out an experiment using gingerbread biscuits and different liquids. They placed gingerbread biscuits into a dish of water, milk, oil and vinegar. They observed what changes took places after ten minute intervals.
Habitats – In Class 1, we have been talking about habitats; where animals live. We explored a range of natural objects and made habitats for the woodland animals in the Percy the Park Keeper stories that we have been reading during Literacy.
SUAT supports and leads in the set-up of new academies joining the partnership. The sevices provided by the central support function cover both educational and non-educational support. In terms of educational support, SUAT is linked to the School of Education of Staffordshire University, which is an outstanding ITT provider.
