Science

In science we follow the St Christopher’s Scheme of learning to support  the planning and teaching of our science curriculum.  This helps us to deliver high-quality lessons that engage, enthuse and challenge pupils, equipping them with the knowledge and skills to experiment, investigate and become confident scientists.. Each lesson covers both science knowledge and scientific skills ensuring the children experience learning facts about science but also test theories, make predictions and explore results by making conclusions.

Each classroom has a science area where key vocabulary and equipment is available for children to use independently allowing them to develop inquisitive minds about the world around them. Children are encouraged to ask questions and design their own experiments to find the answers themselves.

Children in Team Tavy experience these subjects through a floor-book approach, which follows the children’s interests.

Science is taught weekly in each class. Each area of science is covered throughout the year including biology, chemistry and physics. The scientific units have been planned to be taught progressively through Y1-Y6. Children build on prior learning from the years before and use knowledge and skills they remember to further their understanding. 

We teach the units on a two year rolling programme to ensure each year group cover the National Curriculum objectives within their mixed age classroom.

Each unit begins with a schema map to support the children to remember the knowledge as it is learned. This is a visual mind map with pictures and words. Each unit ends with the children producing a ‘double page spread’ of everything they have learned during the unit. This is a great way for the children to be proud of their learning and show what they know.

Each week there will be rainbow challenges linked to the learning in science for the children to compete independently in class during continuous provision. These are either linked to the classes current learning or something that the children wish to find out about themselves.

At St George’s we value the extracurricular opportunities presented to us by our environment and our local community. We are passionate about raising the children’s aspirations - particularly in science and technology. 

Each year we hold a Science Week to promote science and engage the children. There are many hands on activities throughout the week, as well as, visitors, live lessons, egg hatching, gardening and much more!

We have recently introduced our ‘Science Technicians’ lanyards to the children. Each year we choose a child from each year group to be a Science Technician. These children will help to prepare resources, lead science projects, organise science equipment and help other classes during investigations. They will also lead activities from our lovely new science shed!

We are lucky at St George’s to have an outstanding outside environment for the children to use during learning. We even have our very own school farm! We keep chickens, rabbits and even a guinea pig. The children look after them during farm club and also during playtimes and lunchtimes. The animals are a huge part of our school community and are fabulous for our well being and mental health.