Lime Walk Primary School

At Lime Walk Primary School, we aim to ensure a high standard of teaching and learning in science, where children build on existing knowledge and skills throughout their school life. As an example, when looking at the materials and states of matter aspect, within year one children will explore a variety of materials and will focus on identifying the basic names and simple physical properties of them.  Children will explore the materials in the world around them, touching, feeling and observing them to classify and understand why they are used.

By the time the children move into year two, their focus will begin to investigate and compare how suitable different materials are for the uses they have and how materials can be changed. Moving through school and into Key Stage Two, children in year three will investigate and compare how things move on different materials and the magnetic properties of materials.  Into year four, children will begin to understand that a material can be a solid, liquid and gas; challenging their ideas of what a material is and how materials are in states, which can be changed.

By the time children reach upper key stage two, they will be creating their own investigations and deepening their thinking to investigate and explore changing materials, using complex vocabulary and drawing rich conclusions to their own questions.  The other aspects of the science curriculum offer the opportunity to build on existing knowledge and skills in a similar way.

At Lime Walk Primary School, we have a curriculum overview that outlines each science unit for each year group and when it should be taught. This is sequenced to enable each year group with similar units to be completed at the same time; providing teachers opportunities to work collaboratively and undertake school trips with a science focus together. Individual classes make links between science units and other subjects within the term or year, both interweaving learning and drawing on previous learning that academic year.

A knowledge progression and skills progression document has been written for each unit, which is both compliant with the National Curriculum and enables scope for teachers to develop and immerse children in their own interests. These detail and outline what must be taught within each unit and what children should learn within each one, with suggestions of hands-on and practical ideas highlighted. Each unit has a selection of associated vocabulary which is there to support and guide teachers with age-appropriate terms. These, alongside a subscription to the Association of Science Education, are to support and guide planning within each year group to enable a successful and strong foundation for our science curriculum.

At Lime Walk Primary School, science is taught regularly throughout Key Stage One and Key Stage Two once a week. In early years, science is taught through the children learning about the world around them and through continuous provision activities guided towards scientific investigations. Children focus on knowledge and apply this using their wide range of scientific skills stated within the National Curriculum.

At the beginning of each unit of work, children participate in an entry point where they have a hook or experience that sparks their engagement, questions and interests as well as allowing teachers to understand what to plan, what captures their children and any misconceptions that need to be addressed. At the end of each unit of learning, children undertake an exit point, which can be an experience, investigation, quiz or creation that shares their wonderful learning.

Children thrive at Lime Walk with our positive approach to recognising and praising knowledge, ensuring attitudes towards learning are rewarded and understanding is questioned.

Additional scientific opportunities are provided for the children through visitors, school trips and outdoor learning sessions as well as themed weeks throughout the school year.