🔬 Science at Petteril Bank Primary School

🌟 Our Approach to Science

At Petteril Bank Primary School, we believe that science education nurtures children’s natural curiosity and helps them make sense of the world around them. We follow the Kapow Primary Science curriculum to deliver engaging, hands-on learning experiences that develop scientific knowledge and skills progressively from Reception to Year 6. Our aim is to inspire future scientists and equip all children with scientific literacy they can apply throughout their lives.

📚 Our Science Curriculum

Kapow Primary Science

Our comprehensive Kapow Science curriculum:

• Provides a clear progression of knowledge and working scientifically skills
• Emphasizes practical, investigative approaches to learning
• Develops scientific vocabulary and communication
• Makes meaningful cross-curricular connections
• Encourages questioning and critical thinking
• Promotes respect for living organisms and the environment

🧪 Working Scientifically Skills

Throughout their time at Petteril Bank, children develop key scientific skills:

• Questioning – Asking scientific questions about the world
• Observing – Making careful observations using equipment
• Testing – Planning and carrying out fair tests
• Measuring – Taking accurate measurements with appropriate units
• Recording – Gathering and presenting data in different ways
• Concluding – Drawing conclusions based on evidence
• Evaluating – Suggesting improvements to investigations
• Communicating – Using scientific language to explain findings

📝 What Children Learn in Each Year Group

Reception

• Exploring natural materials and their properties
• Observing changes across the seasons
• Investigating plants and animals in our environment
• Discussing how things work and why things happen

Year 1

• Biology: Plants; Animals, including humans
• Chemistry: Everyday materials
• Physics: Seasonal changes
• Key focus on observation skills and simple testing

Year 2

• Biology: Living things and their habitats; Plants; Animals, including humans
• Chemistry: Uses of everyday materials
• Key focus on classification and pattern recognition

Year 3

• Biology: Plants; Animals, including humans
• Chemistry: Rocks
• Physics: Light; Forces and magnets
• Key focus on comparative and fair testing

Year 4

• Biology: Living things and their habitats; Animals, including humans
• Chemistry: States of matter
• Physics: Sound; Electricity
• Key focus on systematic observations and data collection

Year 5

• Biology: Living things and their habitats; Animals, including humans
• Chemistry: Properties and changes of materials
• Physics: Earth and space; Forces
• Key focus on identifying scientific evidence and causal relationships

Year 6

• Biology: Living things and their habitats; Animals, including humans; Evolution and inheritance
• Physics: Light; Electricity
• Key focus on explanation, evaluation, and application of scientific ideas

🔍 Science in Action at Petteril Bank

Our science teaching comes alive through:

• Science Week – Annual celebration of STEM activities and investigations
• Outdoor Learning – Using our school grounds as a living laboratory
• Visiting Experts – Scientists and STEM professionals sharing their expertise
• Educational Visits – Field trips to enhance scientific understanding
• Innovate Project – Taking action on sustainability within our community

👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 How Parents Can Support Science at Home

1️⃣ Encourage Scientific Thinking

• Ask open-ended questions: “What do you notice?” “Why do you think that happens?”
• Allow time for observation and exploration
• Embrace children’s “why” questions as learning opportunities
• Model curiosity about the world around you

2️⃣ Simple Investigations at Home

Kitchen Science:

• Observe what happens when you mix baking soda and vinegar
• Explore which materials dissolve in water
• Investigate how temperature affects how quickly ice melts
• Observe how foods change when they are cooked

Garden Science:

• Plant seeds and observe their growth
• Create a mini wildlife habitat
• Collect and classify leaves, stones, or insects
• Keep a weather diary

Household Science:

• Test which materials are magnetic
• Investigate shadows at different times of day
• Explore how sounds can be made louder or quieter
• Sort materials by their properties (rough/smooth, waterproof/absorbent)

3️⃣ Science Conversations

Discuss scientific concepts in everyday life:

• Talk about the seasons and weather changes
• Discuss the food groups and balanced nutrition
• Explore how household appliances work
• Observe and name plants and animals you encounter

4️⃣ Useful Resources to Have at Home

Simple equipment for investigations:

• Magnifying glass
• Measuring cups and spoons
• Thermometer
• Stopwatch or timer
• Notebook for recording observations
• Recycled containers for sorting and testing

🌐 Helpful Online Science Resources

• BBC Bitesize Science
• Explorify – Free science activities and thinking starters
• Science Fun at Home
• STEM Learning Home Activities
• NASA Kids’ Club
• Natural History Museum

📚 Science Books We Recommend

For Younger Children (Reception-Year 2)

• “Look Inside: Science” (Usborne)
• “The Big Book of Science Ideas” (Usborne)
• “A First Book of Nature” by Nicola Davies

For Older Children (Year 3-6)

• “Science Experiments at Home” by Robert Winston
• “The Incredible Human Body” (DK Books)
• “Horrible Science” series by Nick Arnold
• “A Really Short History of Nearly Everything” by Bill Bryson