Science

At MPPS, we LOVE Science! We aim to develop children's knowledge, scientific skills and curiosity for the world around them. 

Purpose

• To develop children’s understanding of scientific processes and encourage a deep curiosity for understanding the foundations of the world and why things happen in the way they do.

Aims

• To develop scientific knowledge and conceptual understanding through the specific disciplines of biology, chemistry and physics.

• To develop understanding of the nature, processes and methods of science through different types of scientific enquiries that help pupils to answer scientific questions about the world around them.

• To equip pupils with the scientific knowledge required to understand the uses and implications of science, today and for the future.

Understanding different types of knowledge in Science

Substantive knowledge: knowledge of the products of science, such as concepts, laws, theories and models).
This is referred to as scientific knowledge and conceptual understanding in the national curriculum

Disciplinary knowledge: knowledge of how scientific knowledge is generated and grows.
This is specified in the ‘working scientifically’ sections of the national curriculum and it includes knowing how to carry out practical procedures.

EYFS

We teach Science in Nursery and Reception classes as an integral part of the topic work covered during the year. As part of the Early Year curriculum we embed the ‘Understanding the world’ aspects through different themes linking to our children's lives and experiences, the children’s work and progress are aligned with objectives set out in the Early Learning Goals (ELGs). Science contributes to a child’s personal and social development. Science supports the children understanding the world around them from weather, to materials objects are made from and their own bodies

Key Stage One and Two 

Across each year group the children will be taught a mixture of physics, biology and chemistry through 6 different topics. Each topic has a Scientist focus to develop the children’s knowledge of the people who have helped shape our world. We use the National curriculum, which outlines which topics are covered in each year group. To support our sequencing and content we use the Science Rising Stars scheme. Each topic has been split into individual lessons with the substantive and disciplinary knowledge clearly outlined. This has then been matched to the scheme. Part of our teaching of Science  entails the teaching of specific tier 3 Science vocabulary. The children are all aware of the 5 enquiry types and lessons will mostly require the children to use 1 or more enquiry type.