Science
Discover the Universe through Science at Coads Green
Intent
At Coads Green Primary School, we believe science is at the heart of everyday life and is crucial to sparking curiosity, creativity, and critical thinking. Our goal is to ignite the wonder of the world around us, helping pupils explore, inquire, and deepen their understanding through hands-on experiences. We want our children to see science as a fascinating journey of discovery, not just something learned in textbooks, but something that lives and breathes in the world we experience every day.
Science at Coads Green isn't just about knowledge; it’s about developing essential skills- observation, communication, collaboration, and enquiry- that they can use both inside and outside the classroom. Through practical, engaging lessons, we aim to fuel a thirst for knowledge that will inspire them to ask questions, experiment, and make exciting new discoveries about the universe.
Implementation
Our science lessons are designed to be exciting, interactive, and hands-on, delivered weekly with a focus on exploration and discovery. We draw upon a variety of programs of study and resources that are carefully linked to our curriculum, ensuring we cover the essential knowledge and skills in a way that aligns with our learning progression plan.
From Early Years to Key Stage 2, science is delivered through engaging, practical activities that cater to a wide range of learning styles. In Early Years, children learn by exploring the world around them through play, both through adult-led and child-initiated activities. By the time they reach Key Stage 1 and 2, they’ll be experimenting with real scientific equipment, building their skills as budding scientists. We focus on teaching scientific processes like observation, investigation, and recording data, ensuring that these concepts are actively modeled by our staff so that each child feels confident and capable in their understanding.
Through a two-year rolling curriculum, we ensure all children receive a well-rounded science education that builds year on year. Regular assessments are embedded into our approach, allowing us to tailor lessons to each child’s needs and ensure they’re always progressing.
Practical Science in Action
At Coads Green, science isn’t just something you read about- it’s something you do. We make it come alive with practical experiments that engage students in real-world contexts. Here are just a few of the exciting, hands-on activities we get up to:
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Building Electrical Circuits: Our students have the chance to get hands-on with electricity, building their own circuits and learning how components like wires, bulbs, and batteries work together to make things light up and buzz.
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Understanding the Digestive System (the messy way!): Ever wondered how your food is digested? We simulate the process with a messy experiment involving tights and soggy bread! The children love this squishy and interactive way of learning about digestion, where they see first-hand how food travels through the body.
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Investigating Friction with Racing Cars: Science can be a race, literally! By sending cars down ramps and experimenting with different surfaces, the children explore friction and how it impacts speed and motion. It’s a fun, fast-paced way to understand this important force.
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Creating Hovercrafts: Using balloons and old CDs, we make our own hovercrafts to demonstrate air pressure and lift. It’s an engaging, simple way to bring the physics of hovercrafts to life in the classroom!
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Simulating Rainclouds: In one of our most popular experiments, we use shaving foam and colored water to create our own rainclouds. Children are mesmerized as they see the foam fill up with color and eventually rain down- helping them visualise how weather systems work!
Assessment
Assessment at Coads Green is an essential part of how we ensure each child’s progress in science. We don’t just assess what they know- we assess how they learn, so they can gain confidence in their own abilities and move forward in their scientific journey.
We use a blend of formative and summative assessments to keep track of progress. Formative assessments are ongoing and might include quizzes, KWL grids, concept maps, or pupil self-assessment, helping to shape future lessons. Summative assessments include the EYFS Early Learning Goals and end-of-unit evaluations, where children demonstrate what they’ve learned through practical work and investigations.
Whole-School Tracking and Progress
To ensure all pupils are making strides in their scientific knowledge, we use iTRACK, an online pupil tracking system. This allows us to monitor progress in real-time, analyzing data to ensure every child receives the support they need to thrive in science. It also helps us fine-tune our teaching, ensuring that each child’s unique needs are met and that they continue to grow as confident, curious scientists.