“Science is the language of curiosity”- Professor Brian Cox
Our Intent
Science is an incredibly important part of our curriculum at St Teresa’s. In an ever-changing world, we are constantly faced with huge social, technological and environmental issues that need to be resolved. Our children will be the solution. Therefore we are keen to champion Science and all Science, Technological, Engineering and Mathematical (STEM) related subjects at our school and ensure our children value these. Our children’s natural curiosity about the world around them is strengthened as a result of this approach. As well as this, our children become more actively involved in their own learning, become more reflective learners and gain a strong scientific knowledge and understanding.
Our approach
We firmly believe in a hands-on approach to the teaching of Science that provides our children with an excellent opportunity to solve scientific enquiry in an engaging and memorable way. The problem-solving and investigative approach to science is not only more enjoyable for our children but also enables them to build upon ‘working scientifically’ skills which develop and build a solid foundation for learning about the nature and processes of science. Where possible, our science objectives are also linked to other aspects of our curriculum at school, such as the core texts children read in English, the skills that may apply in Maths and at times a period of history that is science related.
Science is taught through the Knowledge and Understanding of World strand within the Early Years curriculum. Across the school in Year 1 to Year 6, depending on the year group, four to five units are taught covering all aspects of the scientific processes. All children are taught from an early age to identify the types of enquiry skills needed to solve scientific investigations. These are made clear to the children in each lesson and the ‘working scientifically’ skills they will be using: These are:
- Observations over time
- Secondary source research
- Comparative and fair testing
- Pattern seeking
- Identifying and classifying.
The teaching of science is enriched by numerous science trips taken across each year group which includes trips to the RHS Wisely Gardens, the Natural History Museum, The Science Museum and Kew Gardens, as well as local trips e.g. Morden Hall Park where studies are made into river pollution and classifications of animals within their habitats.
At the end of each unit, teachers use their assessment judgement to consolidate understanding. In the Summer term, we celebrate our incredibly popular STEM week and children participate in fantastic learning opportunities such as inspirational talks from people in STEM careers, programming competitions, science fairs and science workshops.
Science at St Teresa’s is our new special web page celebrating all of the fantastic science achievements at our school, and a great platform for children to share child-friendly science news. You will also find links to helpful websites which could assist you with teaching science at home or making fun experiments.