'Science is an integral part of modern culture. It stretches the imagination and creativity of young people. It's challenges are quite enormous.' (Professor Malcolm Longair)

Children are naturally inquisitive and enjoy finding out about the world around them, and so science is a popular subject with our pupils. As well as the knowledge base there is an important practical element in each area of the subject.

In Reception children enjoy asking questions about the world about them. We provide them with many different stimuli, which encourage their natural curiosity and support their learning in science skills and knowledge.

Key Stage One children learn to ask more specific questions and begin to decide how they might find answers to them, a necessary skill that leads to science investigation. They also learn to compare things - hand spans, shoe sizes etc. and how to record these findings. The recording may be by drawing pictures or filling in tables or graphs. The knowledge base of this part of the curriculum consists of: Life processes and living things; Materials and their Properties; and Physical Processes.

By Key Stage Two, children are still looking for answers to their questions but will now learn to collect evidence and record in a more systematic way. They learn to use the correct equipment for their investigations and how to carry out a fair test. Their subject knowledge is divided into the same headings as Key Stage One but with a much broader base. By the end of Key Stage Two children will learn to draw conclusions and give a scientific explanation.

At Our Lady's Science is planned on a two year rolling programme. This means that each area of study is visited twice during Key Stage Two, allowing each topic to be consolidated and developed to a higher level of attainment for each child.

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