Long Buckby Infant School

Science

“Science is the process that takes us from confusion to understanding.” Brian Greene

In KS1 the national curriculum for science aims to ensure that all pupils:

• develop scientific knowledge and conceptual understanding through the specific disciplines of biology, chemistry and physics
• develop understanding of the nature, processes and methods of science through different types of science enquiries that help them to answer scientific questions about the world around them
• are equipped with the scientific knowledge required to understand the uses and implications of science, today and for the future

Science teaching at Long Buckby Infant School aims to give all children a strong understanding of the world around them whilst acquiring specific skills and knowledge to help them to think scientifically.   To gain an understanding of scientific processes and also an understanding of the uses and implications of Science, today and for the future. At Long Buckby Infant School, scientific enquiry skills are embedded in each topic the children study and these topics are revisited and developed throughout their time at school. Topics, such as animals and living things, are taught in the Early Years setting and studied again in further detail throughout Key Stage One. This model allows children to build upon their prior knowledge and increases their enthusiasm for the topics whilst embedding this procedural knowledge into the long-term memory. All children are encouraged to develop and use a range of skills including observations, planning and investigations, as well as being encouraged to question the world around them and become independent learners in exploring possible answers for their scientific based questions. Specialist vocabulary for topics is taught and built up, and effective questioning to communicate ideas is encouraged. Concepts taught should be reinforced by focusing on the key features of scientific enquiry, so that pupils learn to use a variety of approaches to answer relevant scientific questions.