Science

Our Curriculum

We recognise that in an increasingly scientific and technological age children need to acquire knowledge, skills and attitudes to better prepare them for modern life. 

Young children are naturally curious and passionate about learning. At Corton we provide a stimulating science curriculum that nurtures children’s natural curiosity and their on-going intellectual development. Through a hands-on, inquiry-based science curriculum, children will experience the joy of having wonderful ideas, exploration and investigation – that is, the joy of finding out.

At Corton there is a whole school ethos of understanding and caring for the world around us and an understanding of our responsibility towards both the immediate and wider environment and community.

 We want to make sure our children are prepared for the life ahead of them.

The core focus of the National Curriculum for science is an understanding of the scientific method and applying scientific principles to everyday life, rather than just acquiring facts. At Corton this is our aim through practical experimentation, children gain the understanding of a wide range of complex topics in science which help them explore how to apply the results to everyday life. 

Programme of Study

A high-quality science education provides the foundations for understanding the world through the specific disciplines of biology, chemistry and physics. Science has changed our lives and is vital to the world’s future prosperity, and all pupils should be taught essential aspects of the knowledge, methods, processes and uses of science. They should be encouraged to understand how science can be used to explain what is occurring, predict how things will behave, and analyse causes. 

The national curriculum for science aims to ensure that all pupils:

• develop scientific knowledge and conceptual understanding through the specific disciplines of biology, chemistry and physics
• develop understanding of the nature, processes and methods of science through different types of science enquiries that help them to answer scientific questions about the world around them
• are equipped with the scientific knowledge required to understand the uses and implications of science, today and for the future.

The programmes of study for science are set out year-by-year for key stages 1 and 2.The details about what pupils are currently learning can be found in the Spring Term Curriculum for each year group.

science vision.pdf

 Progression of skills

Below is an example of the progression of scientific skills which years 3 to 6 will cover. Each unit will cover a different skills focus.

skills matrix word august 2020.pdf

Science websites

Below are a list of science websites where you can access different types of fun Science experiences. Click on the title to have a look.

 NASA Kids’ Club
NASA Kids’ Club provides a plethora of space focused games, videos, images and activities to introduce and help kids learn about the world of space.

BrianPOP Science
BrainPOP offers educational animated videos and lessons covering different science topics. Each featured science topic comes with illustrative videos, quizzes, and accompanying activities.

National Geographic Kids
Nat Geo Kids enables science lovers to explore the world of science through a collection of apps, games, magazines, toys, videos, and many other materials.

Stemworks

STEM Works Activities is an online resource for kids, parents, volunteers, and teachers. Activities is a section of the STEMWORKS website that focuses on the following topics- crime scene investigation, extreme weather, medical innovations, robotics, space, the animal kingdom, under the sea, wind energy, and other STEM subjects.