Warwick Road Primary School

'Science teaches us about how the universe works'- year 5. 'I liked when we went on a sound walk'- year 1. 'I enjoyed learning about the different bones in our skeleton'- year 3. 'I enjoyed when we modelled the solar system in the playground. The children pretended they were planets and moved around the sun'- year 5. ' 'I found out that when we are younger, we have more bones than when we are adults'- year 3. 'I learnt that gas has no fixed volume or shape'- year 4. 'We learnt about Copernicus'- year 5.

Science

At Warwick Road Primary School, we aspire to create a positive and encouraging environment where children feel supported in their scientific learning. We aim to prepare our children with the skills and knowledge they need to be informed, curious, and capable individuals in our increasingly scientific and technological society.

We follow the White Rose science scheme of learning as it uses a “small steps” approach to science teaching, and closely follows the National Curriculum for science. Our enriched science curriculum helps children to develop scientific understanding and grasp scientific ideas through enquiry, experimentation, internal visits, and extra-curricular opportunities, such as school trips and after school clubs, all designed to inspire and engage learners. The curriculum supports our children in developing an in-depth understanding of the natural world, the ability to explain how things work with clarity and confidence, and to use existing knowledge to support predictions about future events. Furthermore, it supports our children in understanding and improving their health and well-being, and protecting the local, and wider environment.

What makes us successful scientists?

Curiosity and wonder: Being explorative and asking questions.
Hands-on experience: Connecting theoretical concepts with real-world observations, making learning more engaging and memorable.
Observation skills: Observing and describing the world around us.
Critical thinking: Analysing information, making connections, and drawing simple conclusions based on evidence.
Teamwork and collaboration: Developing interpersonal skills and learning the value of collaboration in science.
Communication skills: Expressing and communicating ideas clearly through drawings, oral presentations, or simple written reports.
Use of technology: Using age-appropriate technology tools that can support learning and exploration.
Outdoor learning: Utilising local outdoor space for nature walks, observations, and hands-on activities. Connecting with the environment to appreciate the natural world and its scientific aspects.
Inquiry-based learning: Exploring, asking questions, and discovering answers through investigation.
Growth mindset: Embracing challenges and viewing failures as opportunities for learning and improvement.
Connecting science to everyday life: Relating scientific concepts to daily experiences.

How and what we learn at Warwick Road

Our science progression document describes the development of our children’s knowledge, understanding and skills over time with common threads that children develop and consolidate in their journey through school, including the 8 key areas of working scientifically:

• Ask questions
• Plan
• Make observations
• Take measurements
• Gather, record and classify data
• Present findings
• Answer questions and make conclusions
• Evaluate (KS2 only)

Within early years, children begin their journey as scientists by exploring the natural world around them, through high quality continuous provision and planned experiences.

During reception, children will:

Make observations and draw pictures of animals and plants
Know some similarities and differences between the natural world around them and contrasting environments, drawing on their experiences and what has been read in class
Understand some important processes and changes in the natural world around them, including the seasons and changing states of matter.

Our scientists continue to develop their skills of working scientifically in Key Stage 1 & 2 through a variety of topics such as: materials, plants, and animals including humans.

In Key Stage 1, children will:

Ask simple questions and recognise that they can be answered in different ways.
Make simple predictions based on a question.
Identify what they will change and keep the same.
Observe closely, using simple equipment.
Perform simple tests using standard units when appropriate.
Gather and record data to help in answering questions.
Identify and classify.
Talk about what they have found out and how they found it out.
Use their observations and ideas to suggest answers to questions.

In Lower Key Stage 2, children will:

Ask relevant questions and use different types of scientific enquiry to answer them.
Make predictions based on simple scientific knowledge.
Identify what they will change, observe or measure and keep the same.
Set up simple practical enquiries, comparative and fair tests.
Make systematic and careful observations.
Take accurate measurements using standard units, using a range of equipment, including thermometers and data loggers.
Gather, record and classify data in a variety of ways to help in answering questions.
Record findings using simple scientific language, drawings, labelled diagrams, keys, bar charts, and tables.
Report on findings from enquiries, including oral and written explanations, displays or presentations of results and conclusions.
Use straightforward scientific evidence to answer questions or to support their findings.
Use results to draw simple conclusions.
Begin to identify differences, similarities or changes related to simple ideas or processes.
Begin to make predictions for new values, suggest improvements and raise further questions.

In Upper Key Stage 2, children will:

Ask relevant scientific questions and choose which enquiry type would be best suited to answer them.
Make predictions based on scientific knowledge.
Plan different types of scientific enquiries to answer questions, including recognising and controlling variables where necessary.
Use a range of scientific equipment to make systematic and careful observations with increased complexity.
Take measurements, using a range of scientific equipment, with increasing accuracy and precision, taking repeat readings when appropriate.
Record data and results of increasing complexity using scientific diagrams and labels, classification keys, tables, scatter graphs, bar and line graphs.
Report and present findings from enquiries, including conclusions, causal relationships and explanations of and a degree of trust in results, in oral and written forms such as displays and other presentations.
Use scientific evidence to answer questions.
Make conclusions based on scientific evidence and from their own testing and findings.
Identify scientific evidence that has been used to support or refute ideas or arguments.
Use test results to make predictions to set up further comparative and fair tests.
Suggest investigation improvements including accuracy of results.
Provide some simple examples of how to extend the investigation.

Download Document

Enhanced curriculum experiences

At Warwick Road, we strive to engage and inspire our future Scientists by providing diverse and plentiful opportunities for them to develop, practise, apply and deepen their existing knowledge, skills and understanding, and to promote a love and curiosity for the world around them! Below are just some examples of the additional experiences on offer for our children: