Science
Subject intent (The ‘why’)
"The important thing is to never stop questioning.” (Albert Einstein)
Why teach what we teach?
To ensure that our pupils have a high-quality education providing the foundations for understanding the world. To create curious lifelong learners who are engaged, ask questions and seek answers.
The National Curriculum
The 2014 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 skills required to understand the uses and implications of science, today and in the future. We understand that it is important for lessons to have a skills-based focus, and that the knowledge can be taught through this.
How we teach Science
Through high quality teaching based on the topic themes and schemes of learning from Cornerstones Maestro, we aim to support children to understand how Science has changed our lives and is vital to the world’s future prosperity. We build up a body of key vocabulary, knowledge, concepts and skills for all our pupils which develops a sense of excitement and curiosity about natural phenomena.
Although we use the Cornerstones Curriculum as a base for our science teaching, we remain adaptable, creative and flexible using a variety of resources such as Explorify to support high quality teaching, learning, critical thinking and engagement.
We strive to ensure that our pupils have access to a range of educational trips, visits and meaningful experiences / opportunities that support them in fully understanding how science is used in everyday life and the possibilities it can bring for the future. Such experiences include visits to the National Marine Aquarium and visiting experts with Space Domes.
We endeavour to ensure that the Science curriculum we provide will give children the confidence, motivation and curiosity to continue to further develop their skills into the next stage of their education and life experiences.
Take a look at the websites below to develop your scientific thinking and enquiry skills as well as to help build your science knowledge and understanding.
Explorify is free to sign up to. It contains lots of great videos and activities to get you thinking like a scientist. The more activities you complete the more will it will unlock.
Here you can find a range of materials, including free resources, activities and top tips from subject experts.
Fancy trying some science experiments at home? Here are some easy to follow along experiments and videos to inspire.
Science sparks has some wonderful practical science activities you can do at home as well as some additional Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths challenges.
MinuteEarth has a regularly updated collection of short, free science videos all about earth.
Science Bob’s videos are a combination of experiments you can try yourself and experiences you probably can’t replicate.
Help your children explore the world, both near and far, with Nat Geo Kids videos. Learn amazing facts about ice cream, robots, inventions, droids … You name it; Nat Geo Kids has it.
The Tell Me Why series which seeks to answer the never-ending “but WHY?” queries from children. These fun videos offer a light-hearted look at all sorts of science concepts.
Camera technology allows us to see the world in new ways, including in super slow motion. These free science videos let children see things that happen too fast for the naked eye, making difficult concepts easier to understand.
Education Cartoons – Coastal Processes from Hazeldown Primary on Vimeo.
Food Web from Hazeldown Primary on Vimeo.
Lifecycle of a Flowering Plant from Hazeldown Primary on Vimeo.
Series and Parallel Circuits from Hazeldown Primary on Vimeo.
The Water Cycle Rap (with lyrics) from Hazeldown Primary on Vimeo.
The Water Cycle-2 from Hazeldown Primary on Vimeo.