Science is a core subject within the curriculum and is taught throughout the school, harnessing the children’s own natural interest in the world about them.
In the Prep Department Science is given additional curriculum time and, in the later years, specialist teachers. The pupils are encouraged to make links between ideas and explain results using simple models and theories. The emphasis is very much upon scientific enquiry, practical and ‘hands-on’ investigations and outdoor exploration as well as individual and collaborative projects.
The pupils thrive on the practical approach and become adept at planning and carrying out their own investigations. The large, spacious and well-equipped science laboratory gives children in Years 5 and 6 the opportunity to complete a wide range of investigations within a stimulating learning environment.
In Year 3 the topics covered include: Forces and Magnets, Rocks, Light, Plants and Animals including Humans (nutrition, skeletons and muscles).
In Year 4, topics include: Electricity, Sound, Living Things and their Habitats (grouping and classifying and changing environments), Animals including Humans (digestion, teeth and food chains) and States of Matter.
In Year 5 the pupils will cover: Living Things and their Habitats (life cycles and life processes), Earth and Space, Forces, Properties and Changes of Materials, Animals including Humans (changes as humans develop to old age). We also teach a “Big Science” topic which focuses on practical investigations.
In Year 6 the pupils will learn about: Evolution and Inheritance, Living Things and their Habitats (classification, giving reasons and looking at specific characteristics) Electricity, Animals including Humans (circulatory system, impact of diet, exercise, drugs and lifestyle on our bodies and the ways in which nutrients are transported within animals). We also teach another “Big Science” topic which focuses on practical investigations.
