Science

The aim of science teaching at The Brent is to explore and investigate, developing an inquisitive mind in our children and giving them confidence to question the world around us.

We teach children the skills needed to investigate and create their own enquiries, to challenge existing theories and develop their own conclusions. Thus they learn to value their environment that they live and learn in, respecting other people’s ideas and understandings of the world around them. We teach children how the world around them works, beginning with ourselves and developing to a more complex understanding of space and how life began. We teach children to understand how humans have impacted Earth, teaching them the knowledge and skills to develop an understanding for a more sustainable way of life to protect their future.

Science is split in to the three main areas: Biology, Physics and Chemistry. Within these areas the main key concepts for science knowledge are:

Adaptation
Nature
Environment
The Human World
Planet Earth

Children learn to explore topics using key scientific skills within the skills concepts:

Ask
Measure
Investigate
Record
Evaluate

By doing so, children develop the skills of enquiry, analysis, interpretation and problem-solving which can be used across a range of subjects.

Using their Growth Mindsets children take responsibility for their learning showing resilience and respect for the world around them.

Working Scientifically

In the EYFS, children explore the natural environment around them making key observations and asking questions to continue their inquisitiveness and exploration. Children are encouraged to use labels and understand how or why these are used.

In KS1, children continue their questioning skills, asking questions about their learning but continuing to explore their own environments. Children make observations and use simple scientific equipment in experiments.Children identify and classify a range of materials and animals using both given headings but also creating their own sorting categories. Children also begin to gather data in the form of tally charts and basic test results from their experiments, i.e. it is colder now in winter than it was in autumn. These results enable children to answer questions.

In Lower KS2, children continue to ask questions but begin using scientific enquiries to answer these. Children begin looking at fair testing in simple practical enquiries and making systematic and careful observations. Children use this precision to take accurate measurements using standard units with a range of equipment including thermometers. Children can gather and record data and begin presenting this data in a variety of ways to help answer questions. Children represent their findings in drawings, labelling diagrams, bar charts and tables. Children will also begin reporting on their findings and presenting this in a written or oral explanation, beginning to conclude their results. Some straightforward scientific evidence is discussed and will support their findings.

In Upper KS2, children begin planning different types of scientific enquiries to answer questions, developing on their questioning skills. They will take measurements from a range of scientific equipment, increasing accuracy and precision. Children record data and analyse results using scientific diagrams, classification keys but moving on to scatter graphs and line graphs. Children use test results from past enquiries to support their predictions and set up further comparative and fair tests. Children report and present their findings from enquiries including conclusions and causal relationships; explaining a degree of trust in results and using both oral and written forms. Children identify scientific evidence that has been used to support or refute ideas or arguments.