Richmond Road, Gillingham, Kent ME7 1LS

01634 334344

Burnt Oak Primary School

Science

Science at Burnt Oak enables children to develop their knowledge and understanding of the world around them. We focus our teaching on investigations, observations and a sequence of knowledge and concepts. We base our teaching on the ‘Kent Scheme of Work’.

We emphasise on the children learning by doing, we provide activities that enable the children to test their previously held ideas. In doing so, they will also be encouraged to develop a bank of skills and an understanding of the processes required to be able to do good science.

Key Stage 1

Throughout key stage 1 we enable pupils to use and their first hand experience to develop and learn in scientific ways. Pupils experience and observe phenomena, looking more closely at the natural and humanly-constructed world around them. Pupils are encouraged to be curious and ask questions about what they notice. They begin to use simple scientific language to talk about what they have found out and communicate their ideas to a range of audiences in a variety of ways.

Key Stage 2

Throughout key stage 2 we enable pupils to develop a deeper understanding of a wide range of scientific ideas. Pupils have opportunities to explore and talk about their ideas; asking their own questions about scientific phenomena; and analysing functions, relationships and interactions more systematically. At upper key stage 2, pupils encounter more abstract ideas and begin to recognise how these ideas help them to understand and predict how the world operates. Pupils are given choices to select the most appropriate ways to answer science questions using different types of scientific enquiry, including observing changes over different periods of time, noticing patterns, grouping and classifying things, carrying out comparative and fair tests and finding things out using a wide range of secondary sources of information. Pupils are encouraged to draw conclusions based on their data and observations, use evidence to justify their ideas, and use their scientific knowledge and understanding to explain their findings.

What have we been doing?

Year 2 have been learning about Space. "We also sang a song to help us remember the different planets".

Children in Reception have been exploring things that float and sink. "The pirate ship floats on the water, it needs to stay up so they can go across the water. The pirate and the fish sunk to the bottom on the water tray" (Chloe).