Curriculum Breadth Maps & Information
- Science at Kew Woods Primary School
- Science Vision and Principles
- Staff Voice - Science is good when:
- Pupil Voice - Science is good when:
- Science Development
At Kew Woods Primary School, we believe that Science is a crucial subject to expand curious minds. Our primary science curriculum provides a complete structure for teachers in planning and developing science lessons. Kew Woods Primary School is a member of the Association for Science Education, which further supports teachers in their delivery of science and ultimately, pupils in their science education.
Lessons are organised into topic areas and year groups and include many opportunities for working scientifically. Our science curriculum builds on knowledge and skills so that learning shows clear progress as our children grow.
At Kew Woods Primary School, staff and pupils work together to drive the teaching and learning of Science in a positive direction. To do this, both staff and pupils have worked together to create the following vision in how the subject should be embodied and promoted, within our school.
At Kew Woods, our vision for science is for all pupils to become scientifically literate, through a practical, investigative, inquiry-based approach, which stimulates the pupils’ curiosity to understand their world around them.
- Children can make, explore and investigate.
- Children can make predictions and see a result.
- Children ask scientific questions and make decisions.
- Children are engaged and enthusiastic.
- Children develop their vocabulary.
- Children are engaged and enthusiastic.
- Children undergo real moments of realisation.
- We are exploring and learning new things.
- We are doing practical experiments.
- We are discovering the World.
- We plan our own investigations.
In September 2020, Kew Woods Primary School started their journey towards gaining the Primary Science Quality Mark award. This would be a significant achievement for the school, as the PSQM recognises a school’s commitment and expertise in Science teaching and leadership. If the school can achieve this award, we will have demonstrated that the profile and quality of Science teaching and learning is of high quality and that children are engaging with Science both in and outside of the classroom, developing positive attitudes towards Science.
The Primary Science Quality Mark (PSQM) is a highly successful, unique award programme to develop and celebrate the profile of science teaching, learning and leadership in primary schools. Science plays a huge part in our creative curriculum. Our teachers are enthusiastic about the subject and this award would be regarded as recognition for their hard work and effort. Gaining this award would be a major achievement for the school and one we hope to accomplish in the near future.
Science at home
To help support your child’s science learning and encourage them to practise their scientific skills at home, why not try one of the home learning investigations below.
Each investigation is fun and easy to do at home and doesn’t take much organisation.
We hope you enjoy investigating!
Science investigations: parent information sheet.
Science in primary school in preparation for STEM careers.
Click HERE for more informaiton.
Beware the water roller
This activity can be done on a hard surface, or on a carpet (the bottle will go further on the former).
It is important to make sure the top is firmly screwed on to the bottle!
Your child will be measuring using handspans, as is often done at this age in school. Please help with the recording. Do encourage your child to predict what will happen.
Click HERE to acces the experiment.
Colour in bubbles
This activity encourages careful observation.
In the first part putting the cold bottle into hot water makes the bubbles get bigger. The colours on the bubbles change, sometimes quite quickly.
In the second part it is important not to have the bubble liquid too concentrated or it will take a long time for the film to break. Your child may see the colours swirling a little as they go downwards. They are much the same colours as in a rainbow, but in a different order, and formed in a different way.
Encourage your child to guess why the colours change as they watch.
Click HERE to access the expriment.
Drips and drops
A medicinal dropper is better than a straw, but a straw also gives good results if it is squeezed gently. Blotting paper makes very regular round marks which are easy to measure. Paper tissues are very weak as well as being absorbent so they may go soggy! Let your child find out as much as possible.
If your child adds just a little detergent, the drops will probably be slightly smaller and slightly flatter than they were before. The important point is to let the child explore and take the measurements.
Note: If too much detergent is added you child may just blow bubbles which will look bigger!
Click HERE to access this experiment.
Grass
Your child should be able to do most of this activity without help.
However, showing interest and talking over what has been found out is very encouraging.
Lawn grass has been developed to give strong branched plants which can withstand walking. In the darker parts the grass may be thinner but taller or there may be different kinds of grass growing there.
Your child should manage to make a good display of grass plants.
Click HERE to access this expriment.
Leaves and ribs
You and your child will need green leaves for this activity.
Evergreen leaves or flower leaves will do, but dead brown leaves are not easy to use. Your child has to think about which is the ‘sunny side’ of the leaf.
(Usually it is shinier than the underneath side, but your child could
go back and check which is the top side if they have forgotten.)
The ribs of a leaf are usually underneath it. They make the leaf stiff so that it can be held open to receive sunlight.
See if your child can talk about the ribs making the leaf strong.
Click HERE to access this experiment.
Magnifying drops
This activity calls for careful observation.
The first activity does not give magnification, but the other ones do.
Once your child has found out how to make good magnifying drops, they can use them in different ways.
It is valuable to let your child choose what they would like to look at for themselves.
Click HERE to access this experiment.
