Mercenfled Primary School – Bringing Science to Life 2023/24
“Equipped with their five senses, humans explore the universe around them and call the adventure Science.” – Edwin Hubble
Curriculum intent
Science is a way to understand our world by learning knowledge, carefully thinking about it and testing our guesses with observations and experiments.
Science at Mercnefeld Primary school will inspire a curiosity for the subject whilst building the foundational knowledge and practical skills needed to pursue their passion beyond Year 6. Through high quality teaching and a carefully designed curriculum pupils will build an understanding of the world around them. However, children are encouraged to ask Big Questions and find the answers themselves. These scientific enquiry skills will cement knowledge whilst giving children the opportunity to become critical thinkers and independent learners. We want our children to be equipped with an adaptability, curiosity, passion and desire for science in an ever changing, complex world.
At Mercenfeld Primary School, our science curriculum is carefully sequenced, ambitious and encourages a love for the subject. The children have multiple opportunities to secure and build on their knowledge, understanding of the content is revisited at different points throughout the curriculum during retrieval tasks. This helps children to master scientific knowledge and concepts, then commit them to long term memory. This incremental approach helps teachers to identify gaps in knowledge and close them effectively, ensuring that every child’s needs are met.
Our curriculum enables children to understand the important role that science plays in life on earth. It is split into three main knowledge strands of Biology, Chemistry and Physics. Working scientifically is an important strand of science that is interwoven into lessons through questioning, application of knowledge and experiments. Teachers encourage children to make links in the knowledge and skills they learn in science into other areas of the curriculum, including our character curriculum.
Children will be given opportunities to show their learning through a variety of written tasks, practical experiments, presentations, discussion/debate and representing data.
Enrichment opportunities
In Science we endeavour to offer a curriculum that inspires our pupils as well as offering experiences that link to the real world and future careers. As such, we offer:
- KS2 “Future Scientists” lunchtime club
- Trip to the National Space Centre in Year 5
- Exploring local habitats to learn about regional biology
- Visitors from local scientists and healthcare professionals
