Science
Intent
“The reward of the young scientist is the emotional thrill of being the first person in the history of the world to see something or to understand something. Nothing can compare with that experience.”
Cecilia Payne-Gaposchkin
In our school, we grow scientific minds. We love science. Getting our hands onto and into things. Looking closely at nature. Wandering and wondering. Seeing the connections in the big picture. Feeling that sense of awe and wonder. Knowing that curiosity is what makes us human. Looking at the really, really big, and the really, really small. Experiencing change and transformation, sometimes by blowing stuff up! We enjoy playing with things, breaking them down, and building them up. We find the magic in the everyday.
Excellence lies at the heart of our learning. We tackle some big ideas and concepts! We try to unlock the cheat codes of the universe; to know what is real and what is not; to understand our singular place in the cosmos and to find out what there is still yet to know.
Our science teaching and learning is based upon five core principles.
- Our learning is linked to real world, purposeful and meaningful experiences. Our staff and children get the most out of practical investigations and experiments. These have the greatest impact when they are linked to the real world around us, and the future lives of our children when they enter the workplace.
- Our curiosity is encouraged and developed. This starts with interesting and engaging, enquiry-based lessons which facilitate that natural sense of awe and wonder present in every child. Staff curiosity leads to further questions, which spur the children into self-directed learning.
- We create challenging investigations with searching questions. Quality investigation skills lie at the heart of good science. Ours stretch and challenge appropriately at every level, including children with special educational needs, gifted and talented children, and those from every background and ability level. We pursue excellence, not perfection!
- We talk enthusiastically about science using accurate vocabulary. Staff are the ambassadors for positive reinforcement of science and its precise language. Our science communication, whether visual or auditory, is always exciting and accurate – never dumbed down or simply done for the children to copy.
- Our lessons and activities build upon each other in response to feedback. Each lesson and unit are reflected upon by staff and children to continuously improve our science offering. Planning stays flexible and agile to accommodate any needed changes prompted by careful assessment.
Our shared mission is to activate those young scientific minds, get them growing, and give them the tools and experience to step into the rest of their education with confidence and enduring curiosity. We cannot wait to share something wonderful with you.
“Nothing in life is to be feared, it is only to be understood.”
Marie Curie