St Peter’s Academy Vision Statement
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.
Science Curriculum Intent, Implementation and Impact Statement
Science Statement of Intent
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.
Science Statement of Implementation
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:
- Use their senses to investigate a range of objects and materials
- Find out about, identify and observe the different features of living things, objects and worldly events
- Look closely at similarities, differences, patterns and change
- Ask questions about why things happen and why things work
- Develop their communication and co-operation skills
- Talk about their findings, sometimes recording them
- Identify and find out about features of the place they live and in the natural world around them
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.
Impact
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:
- A wider variety of skills linked to both scientific knowledge and understanding, and scientific enquiry/investigative skills
- A richer vocabulary which will enable them to articulate their understanding of taught concepts
- Confidence and a love of learning for all things science
Working Scientifically
Please click on each year group for further information:
Early Years Foundation Stage
Key Stage 1
Key Stage 2
Science Programmes of Study
Please also see our Knowledge Mats - click here
Key Stage 1
Year A
Year B
Key Stage 2
Year A
Year B
Fairy Gardens
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.
