Our vision for science at St Joseph’s is to provide children with a curriculum which sparks wonder and curiosity. We want to see children getting hands-on with their learning, working collaboratively to investigate the world around them and deepen their understanding of why things are the way they are.
We want to inspire the scientists of the future!
Our vision is to provide children with a curriculum which sparks wonder and curiosity.
We use the Switched on Science scheme of work. This has investigative learning at its core and provides full coverage of the primary science programmes in a range of contexts, ensuring children have ample opportunity to develop their understanding of the topics while deepening their enthusiasm for this wonderful and crucial subject.
Our Environmental Tutor visits each Wednesday afternoon to provide an outdoor, nature-themed workshop to all classes on a rota basis.
Our themed gardens and grounds provide a beautiful, stimulating outdoor learning environment where much of the curriculum can be enhanced through practical activities.
Click on the link below to see our science overview for the year. We have tailored to provide opportunities for cross-curricular links to be made between science, geography and history. What connections can you make between the topics covered?
Science Geography History Curriculum Plan 2021-2022
Spring 1 topics
Have a look at these overviews of the topics we will be covering in spring 1. Known as knowledge organisers, they are an excellent way of developing a child’s understanding of key concepts and vocabulary. You could discuss the words and their meanings; look and pictures and talk about what you see; you could get creative and draw labelled diagrams of your own or create a matching game with words and their meanings.
Year 1
Year 2
Year 3
Year 4
Year 5
Year 6
Science in the outdoors
Throughout the four seasons, classes come outside to interact with and learn about our natural environment through many hands-on, practical activities, including:
- Cultivating the soil and planting a variety of bulbs, perennials, shrubs and trees.
- Sowing and growing fresh, organic food – from ‘Seed to Plate’
- Annual Sunflower growing
- Annual RSPB’s Big Schools’ Birdwatch and making bird feeders
- Exploring our Wildlife pond to learn about aquatic life and their lifecycles
- Sowing and growing wildflowers and understanding their importance as nectar rich plants for our much-needed pollinators; the Bees and Butterflies
- Creating habitats for insects, arachnids, birds and more as well as exploring hibernation
- Learning about the origins of rocks and soils and how different soils develop over time and space.
- Using Keys to classify plants and wildlife
- Using Identification sheets to discover and become more familiar with the flora and fauna visiting and living in our school grounds
- Composting, reusing, recycling and upcycling in order to reduce waste.
- Reducing Energy use and being water wise
and more….
We are also able to enhance our Topic themes outside, including:
- Using the ‘Three Sisters’ method of planting corn, beans and gourds to support our Mexico studies.
- Engaging in the ancient building technique of Wattle and Daub during our Viking and Anglo- Saxon studies
- Making and then baking ‘Viking Bread’ in our Cob Oven.
Children in all year groups gain a wealth of knowledge and experience through their nature themed workshops, and most seasonal activities can be linked to curriculum and topic learning in a variety of practical ways.
Importantly, children are able to explore their senses, learn how to care for other life forms, see and understand where and how their food grows, work as a team, harvest, prepare and eat fresh, healthy, organic school-grown produce, understand lifecycles and seasons, familiarise themselves with a variety of plants and their names, learn how to use basic gardening tools safely for a variety of planting activities, develop their creativity through their design ideas, signage for the gardens, habitat creation and more..
Links to curriculum include:
- Knowledge and understanding of the world, exploring the natural environment; classification, lifecycles, plant parts
- Caring for the world.
- Observing changes in different seasons: light levels, flowers growing, fruit and veg available, leaves budding, opening, changing colour and then falling and wildlife seen.
- Looking at creatures in the soil, exploring rocks and soil.
- Learning about and building/planting habitats for wildlife.
- Maths activities including shape and space measuring.
- PSED Personal Social and Emotional Development. Explore, calmness, encourages conversations, team work etc.
- Outdoor writing and poetry opportunities.
- Expressive arts and design – creative opportunities using natural resources.
- Speaking and listening – children often talk and converse more in a relaxed environment.
- Physical development – health and self-care.
- Children learn about healthy foods as they are able to help sow, grow and nurture them – from seed to plate.
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