Intent
At Peaslake Free School, our Science curriculum is crafted to inspire curiosity and a love for exploring the natural world, aligned with our core values of kindness, collaboration, resilience, respect, and curiosity. As an infant school, with a focus on Reception and Key Stage 1, our aim is to nurture these values through engaging, hands-on experiences that help our youngest learners begin their scientific journey in a fun, inclusive, and supportive environment.
Our science curriculum encourages children to develop their natural curiosity, ask questions about the world around them, and start building foundational knowledge in biology, chemistry, and physics. We believe that science is a powerful tool for children to better understand themselves, their environment, and the diverse world they live in.
Key Areas of Focus for Peaslake Free School:
1. Vocabulary Development:
From the earliest stages, we aim to develop children's scientific vocabulary in an age-appropriate and engaging way. We integrate new words into their daily experiences, making sure that scientific terms are introduced in context, helping children develop confidence in describing the world around them. This will provide a solid foundation for future learning.
2. Diversity:
We ensure that our Science curriculum reflects diverse contributions from scientists across cultures and backgrounds. By introducing children to a wide range of role models in science, we help challenge stereotypes and promote the idea that anyone can be a scientist. We also incorporate diverse environmental contexts to help children understand that the natural world is varied and dynamic.
3. Outdoor Learning:
At Peaslake Free School, we take full advantage of our beautiful local environment to make science learning tangible and exciting. Our outdoor learning opportunities allow children to explore nature directly—observing seasonal changes, discovering local wildlife, and engaging in hands-on investigations. This approach builds resilience as children encounter challenges and find solutions, while also fostering collaboration as they work in groups to solve real-world problems.
Science Curriculum Aims:
- Encouraging Curiosity: Our curriculum taps into children's natural curiosity by sparking excitement about everyday phenomena. Through simple, interactive activities, we encourage children to observe, question, and explore the world with wonder.
- Developing Scientific Thinking: We introduce basic scientific skills, such as making observations, asking questions, predicting outcomes, and carrying out simple experiments. These activities help to foster critical thinking and problem-solving skills, laying the groundwork for future scientific exploration.
- Inclusion and Collaboration: In line with our value of kindness and respect, our science lessons promote teamwork and sharing ideas. Children are encouraged to work together, listen to each other's ideas, and celebrate the diverse ways people think and explore science. Every child, regardless of background or ability, has access to a rich and meaningful science education.
- Practical Exploration: Children are introduced to science through playful, practical activities that engage their senses and help them understand cause-and-effect relationships. This hands-on approach allows them to see science in action, whether they're exploring materials, watching plants grow, or observing animals in their local environment.
- Building Resilience: Science offers opportunities for children to try, fail, and try again. Our curriculum encourages children to see these experiences as part of the learning process, fostering resilience and a growth mindset.
Our Science curriculum aligns with the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) framework and the Key Stage 1 National Curriculum. In Reception, our focus is on meeting the Early Learning Goals for Understanding the World (The Natural World), while in Key Stage 1, we build on this foundation, progressively introducing more structured scientific concepts and skills.
By fostering a sense of excitement, inclusion, and curiosity, our Science curriculum helps children at Peaslake Free School begin to appreciate the role of science in their lives and the wider world. We aim to build confident, thoughtful learners who are excited to continue their scientific journey in the years to come.
Implementation
For the subject of Science at Peaslake we follow a scheme of work from Kapow Primary.
For KS1 we use the mixed-age units which follow a Cycle A and Cycle B format to ensure progression of skills for children across the age range.
The following strands run through all Science units:
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Knowledge and understanding.
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Working scientifically.
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Science in action.
Our weekly Forest school sessions enhance and cement learning the children have done in their science lessons.
The continuous provision available to the children provides opportunities to recap prior learning.
To promote STEM we celebrate Science Week. This enrichment week in previous years have included visitors such as a doctor, a construction industry expert, a green energy specialist and aviation and radio engineer.
Additional enrichment days last year included a visit from a forester who took the children on a walk and looked at trees in more detail. School trips are organised visiting places such as the Winchester Science Centre and the Lookout Discovery Centre.
