Pittington Primary School

Science at Pittington

EYFS – Nursery and Reception

Nursery

During these past months the children have been using the indoor and outside areas to talk about what they see, hear, smell, touch and taste.  They have been talking about collections of natural materials and at times used vocabulary that will be used when learning science in KS1.  Practical activities have been to group materials together and naming those that are metal, wood, glass or plastic.  Through practical investigation, our children have talked about the simple properties of materials such that metal can be magnetic or plastic is waterproof.

In more recent months, the children used their classroom areas to share with an adult how to grow a seed and in the garden area they saw bulbs sprouting and flowering.  As these grew the children named and talked about the parts of these plants such as the leaves, stem and the roots.  Access to our school pond and observing donated tadpoles they began to talk about the lifecycle of a frog.  During these talks and discussions, our children begin to understand the simple ways in which they can care for our local environment

Practical exploration of forces is evident throughout EYFS and the children are beginning to use the correct words when talking about a force.  The children are using magnets and talk about magnetic and non-magnetic materials.  Through investigation inside and outdoors the children could talk about the changes to materials such as melting, heating and during cooking.

These sunnier months have been great for exploring light and darkness and to make shadows.                                                                

Reception

The children further develop their confidence and skills to explore the natural world around them, making observations and drawing pictures of animals and plants that they encounter such as the visiting stick insects or mini-beasts they find during their outside learning experiences,

From their experiences and what has been read in class, the children begin to know some similarities and differences between the natural world around them and contrasting environments in other regions of the UK and globally.

The children begin to show more understand some important processes and changes in the natural world around them, including the seasons and changing states of matter.

Key Stage 1

Year 1

Throughout the year one curriculum the children build on the EYFS experiences and encouraged to recall their understanding changes in the natural world around them when learning about seasonal changes, which is revisited every term throughout this year group.  The year began with learning about the everyday materials that the children encounter in their lives and those being used around the home and in their community.  This continues into the spring term with learning about the body parts of animals and humans, making links with their EYFS experience of using all their senses.  During the summer months are opportunities to take the learning outside for the classroom onto our school field, among the trees and within our garden area to learn more about the plant parts and the names for the trees, shrubs and flowers that see at school and outside of school.

Year 2

Year 2 continued their KS1 learning journey with re-visiting what they had retained and could recall from learning about the everyday materials that they encounter in their lives and those being used around the home and in their community.  This followed on with learning more about the everyday uses of materials.  Following was another opportunity to recall what they had remembered about animals and humans from the previous academic year.

To ensure opportunities to consolidate and embed working scientifically skills, the term without a knowledge focus was given to practical scientific methods. 

The latter weeks of the Spring term were used to cultivate seedlings in preparation for the focus on plants, where learning continued in the school garden area.   

A new focus for year 2 to learn about was living things and habitats, which was better understood by outdoor learning in the school grounds; among the trees and shrubs and insect ‘hotel’.                               

Key Stage 2

Lower Key Stage Two

Year 3

As the children transition to lower key stage two, they experience the processes associated with rocks with practical investigation of rock collections from our science resource area.  The year continues with the practical elements for investigating forces and magnets followed by another opportunity to consolidate the practical elements for working scientifically that the children experienced in year 2.  The children have another opportunity to recall what the remember from learning about plants in key stage one and acquire new knowledge, once again learning outside the classroom in our wildlife area and around the school grounds.  A new focus for the children will be light and another opportunity for working scientifically.

Year 4

The LKS2 learning journey continues with another new science focus learning about electricity, providing opportunities to make links with the Design and Technology curriculum.  Children recall what they’ve learned about animals including humans and increase their knowledge of digestive systems, teeth and food chains.  A second new focus for this year group was Sound with its associated opportunities for practical investigations.  During this Spring term, another focus on the practical scientific methods, processes and skills linked with working scientifically.  Last explored in KS1, we learn about classification keys and environmental changes.  This academic year concludes with another focus from KS1 on materials, specifically states of matter and the water cycle with an opportunity for associated cross curricular links with geography.

Upper Key Stage Two

Year 5

Our children begin upper key stage 2 with a new scientific focus of the solar system followed by a focus on forces, linking earth and space with gravity acting between the Earth and the falling object, revisiting friction from year 3 alongside the associated effects of air and water resistance, plus a link with design and technology with the effects of levers, pulleys and gears.  We continue with a revisit from the previous year focusing on life cycles and the process of reproduction.  During the Spring term, another focus on the practical scientific methods, processes and skills linked with working scientifically.  The summer term is a return to knowledge about animals and humans, describing the changes as humans develop to old age.  Like year 4, the academic year ends with a focus on materials with multiple opportunities to apply skills and knowledge for investigations and experiments.

Year 6

Year 6 revisit five areas of the science curriculum, with a new focus be in the second half of the autumn term.  The year begins with revisiting and building on from the past two years of learning about living things and habitats, with classification of plants and animals.  Although a new focus on evolution and inheritance it links from year 3 and their learning about fossils, year 5 and their knowledge of reproduction, and year 4 with their understanding of environments as they learn about changes over time, offspring and adaptation.

Consolidation of the year 4 practical investigation and knowledge of electricity is further developed with a focus on component function, voltage and circuit diagram symbols.  This is followed by applying knowledge of light from year 3 and further develop understanding of shadows and learn how light travels.  The learning journey concludes with their annual focus on animals including humans with learning about the human circulatory system and choices that effect how our bodies function.  In addition, our children making cross curricular links with prior learning of physical health and mental wellbeing from within PSHRE, Design & technology’s focus on cooking & nutrition and the science learning within LKS2 on nutrition and digestion.   

Year 6, during this summer term also provide opportunities to prepare for their transition to the KS3 science curriculum where they will recall what they’ve retained of the primary science curriculum and endeavour to embed a deeper understanding of biology, chemistry and physics.  This completes their learning journey from the EYFS experiences, their transition from the ELG to the national curriculum and their ongoing practical applications for working scientifically.

Enrichment

Throughout the school year, opportunities for enrichment are sourced either by individual classes, key stages or whole school experiences, with UKS2 representation our school at a science fair, outreach visitors such as Captain Chemistry or even the borrowing of book boxes for every key stage, including EYFS and are looking forward to engaging fully in a range of future science related opportunities.

Summer Term 2021

During Summer term we continued our science curriculum with a focus on ensuring that children remembered knowledge, were able to recall what they had learned and continued to develop their skills for working scientifically.  Year groups continued to have access to multiple opportunities for learning and practise science skills, both within scheduled weekly lessons and informally with meaningful cross curricular links. 

As part of the National Curriculum we have three strands for science which are scientific knowledge and understanding, understanding the nature, processes and methods of science and to understand the uses and implications of science within our world.  The learning journey begins in the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS). 

EYFS – Nursery and Reception 

Science learning within Nursery is mostly through ‘Understanding the World: The World (30-50 months)’ and children are encouraged to comment and ask questions about aspects of their familiar world such as the place where they live or the natural world that they encounter.  They are given opportunities to talk about their observations of plants, animals and natural or found objects, as well as why things happen and how things function.  One area of focus is to develop an understanding of growth, decay and changes over time with another being where adults model and promote the care and concern for living things within an environment. 

In Nursery we have been looking at growth and change in different animals and plants.  We enjoyed planting and caring for our sunflower seeds and watching them grow.  We could identify and name the roots, shoot, leaves, stem and petals.  We planted some vegetables in a special see through pot too which allowed us to look at the roots more carefully.  We talked about how to care for plants by watering them regularly and giving them sunlight.  We also planted some herbs in a special pot to use in our mud kitchen outside.  We have also had some other creatures in Nursery too.  We were so excited to get some tiny caterpillars.  We learned all about the lifecycle of a butterfly and the changes from caterpillar to chrysalis to butterfly.  We learned the importance of taking care of all living creatures no matter how small and enjoyed watching the changes happen right in front of our eyes.  We have also enjoyed learning all about space.  We learned a song all about the different planets and talked about life as an astronaut. 

Materials  

We have been exploring lots of materials and investigating their uses.  We have been researching about how those materials were created and why they may have been chosen to make certain objects.  The children have been on material hunts around school.  We looked at materials that have been made as well as natural materials that come from plants or animals.   

The children’s favourite material was WOOD!  We explored this eve further and looked at it’s uses.  We looked at wooden artefacts, wooden artwork, decorative wooden objects and explored their individual shapes, patterns and designs.  The children did some wood/ tree rubbings to see the detail and patterns that naturally occur.   

New additions to our classroom- Stick Insects! 

We received a delivery of stick insect eggs and we have been researching all about them.  We created a habitat so they have everything they need to survive and thrive! The eggs usually take 1 week to 1 month to hatch but we got a big surprise to discover that two hatched already!  The children are enjoying observing the insects grow and change as we learn even more about them.  

Minibeast Hunt 

We have turned into explorers as we went on a minibeast Hunt! 

The children were fascinated to discover such a large selection of bugs in our very own Reception garden. We looked in the grass, under logs, in our bug hotel and on leaves...as well as looking at what was happening in the sky. 

We compared the different types of minibeasts by looking at their size, shape, colour and how they move...surprisingly anything that could fly did not stay still for long! The children loved watching how the woodlouse moved. 

The children were respectful and gentle as they touched and held the tiny creatures. We put them all back as quickly as possible and returned them to their habitats.

Key Stage 1 – Years 1 and 2 

Children in years one and two enjoy the practical aspects of learning science by asking questions, suggest answers and their ideas, gathering and recording data to help in answering questions, observing closely the world around them and using simple equipment, to perform simple tests and when identifying and classifying. 

Learning within year one included naming materials that everyday objects are made from, explained the difference between an object and material and described the properties of materials.  Then they learn about the changes that take place during the months of autumn through exploration and observation, learnt about equipment used to collect information about the weather and presented data using a graph.  In addition, there were opportunities to sort materials by their properties using a Venn diagram, investigate which material is stronger for the Three Little Pigs house and finding the materials hidden inside a robot. 

The opportunities in year two were to describe how humans change as they grow, describing how an animal changes as it grows, to describe the basic needs of humans and other animals, describing a healthy diet, giving reasons why humans need to exercise which needed children to gather information and use it to answer questions. In the latter weeks, children could describe how and why to keep themselves clean and to explain the life cycle of a frog. 

This term year 1 have been learning all about plants! We have looked in our own gardens and know the difference between common wild plants and garden plants.  

We can name a variety of common wild and garden plants, including deciduous and evergreen trees by identifying trees from their leaves.  

We have also investigated what a plant needs to grow and stay healthy.  

We put 4 plants in different places in the classroom and observed their growth over 5 weeks.  

We found that the plant with water, sunlight and warmth grew to be healthy and strong.  

In year 2 we have been learning about different types of plants and what they need to grow this term. We have experimented with growing sunflowers, tomatoes and made our own ‘greenhouses’ to grow broad beans. We experimented with taking away water and made predictions about what might happen. We observed and recorded the changes to our sunflowers and helped Mr Shackler to transfer them to the school grounds once they were too big for their pots. We measured and compared the plants in our maths work. We used the school grounds to identify common plants and trees and learned to identify trees from their leaves. We now know about the basic needs of plants and that not all plants need the same temperature to thrive. 

Lower Key Stage 2 – Years 3 and 4 

Our children are able to build on the skills and understand practised in key stage 1 and improve their knowledge for how to investigate using practical comparative and fair tests.  Their observations become more systematic with careful observation and accurate measurements using a range of scientific and maths equipment. 

To help answer I wonder questions our children gather, record, classify and present data in a variety of ways, record their findings using simple scientific language, drawings, labelled diagrams, keys or using what they’ve learnt in maths by using bar charts and tables. 

Our lower key stage 2 children report on findings from their enquiries using verbal and written explanations, displays or presentations of their results and conclusions.  They use their reading skills to research existing scientific evidence to answer questions or to support their findings. 

From these results they are then able to draw simple conclusions, make predictions, suggest improvements and ask further questions that enable them to identifying the differences, similarities or changes related to simple scientific ideas and processes. 

Children in year three focused on the working scientifically skills with investigations about light.  We learnt about plants and made links with our previous learning of soils, to help with our recall prior knowledge. 

To help retain what they learnt, opportunities were given to form links between rocks, soils and fossils and learning of Foundation subjects such as the formation of Iceland and volcanic activity in the subject of  geography. 

Year 4 have been investigating what makes a circuit ‘complete’. They began by looking at how electricity travels around a circuit and learning that it must have no gaps and be connected to both a positive and negative power source. They then made predictions about a range of circuits, deciding if they would work correctly. Finally, they tested their predictions with real circuits. A real ‘lightbulb’ moment! 

Upper Key Stage 2 – Years 5 & 6 

During the final two years at our school our children will have many opportunities to challenge themselves and refine their practical science skills with a greater focus on controlling variables where required.  In addition to accurate measurements, the use of repeat reading and awareness of precision is learnt.  The recording of data and presentation of results becomes more complex using additional data handling skills learnt during maths lessons, such as the use of scatter and line graphs.  Further understanding of comparative and fair testing is developed and computer programs such as MS Excel or MS Publisher are incorporated in their verbal and written displays and presentations.  Additional skills learnt within English are used when existing scientific evidence can be used to support or refute ideas or arguments. 

Within Science in Year 5 we have the explored the topics of ‘Animals including Humans’ and ‘ Materials – properties and changes’. 

As part of our focus, we have explored and researched the changes which a human will experience as they progress through their life cycle. This has included exploring the developmental changes of a foetus within the womb, changes during childhood, changes experienced during puberty and those encountered in old age.  

We have also conducted a number of investigations in relation to our work on materials and these have included testing a range of properties and investigating the effectiveness of thermal insulators. As part of our focus, we have also explored the range of properties of materials which make them suitable for their specific uses.

Summer Term for Y6 was all about finding out about animals including humans. We learnt about the circulatory and the respiratory systems but before we did that, we created a lift the flap collage of the human body.   

We investigated our heart rate by measuring our pulse before and after exercise and recorded this class data in a graph. Which graph would be best for recording individual data to compare heart rate before and after exercise?  What would the results look like if we measured our heart rate again after we had rested for half an hour? 

For homework, we were asked to carry out a lung capacity investigation which we weren’t able to do in school due to Covid restrictions.  Take a look at these wonderful examples: 

Enrichment Opportunities 

The easing of Government restrictions and amended risk assessments have offered the opportunities from outreach educators in our summer school week, during which time we had Zoolab and Captain Chemistry. 

Autumn Term 2020

During Autumn 2020 we implemented our revised science curriculum to provide multiple opportunities for our children to learn and practise science skills.  As part of the National Curriculum we have three strands for science which are scientific knowledge and understanding, understanding the nature, processes and methods of science and to understand the uses and implications of science within our world.  The learning journey begins in the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS).

EYFS – Nursery and Reception

Science learning within Nursery is mostly through ‘Understanding the World: The World (30-50 months)’ and children are encouraged to comment and ask questions about aspects of their familiar world such as the place where they live or the natural world that they encounter.  They are given opportunities to talk about their observations of plants, animals and natural or found objects, as well as why things happen and how things function.  One area of focus is to develop an understanding of growth, decay and changes over time with another being where adults model and promote the care and concern for living things within an environment.

In the learning areas both within the classroom and outside, looking at seasonal changes which occur within the school grounds and community locations is recorded with an interactive seasonal display.  Other more specific aspects of sciences are taught as part of our child-initiated learning and when following the particular interests of a child.  Continuous learning related to science can also be accessed by all children outside independently by using the bug hotel, tinkering in the mud kitchen, exploring within the garden area or beside the pond and using investigation resources in the shed.

Within the Reception class, children are developing their use of subject specific vocabulary to explain what they wonder or think when children are bringing the natural world to life through their play.  Misconceptions expressed during more structured learning sessions are being challenged to ensure that they don’t become embedded.  Subject leader observation of the online Tapestry Journal, from learning walks and looking within the Learning Journey portfolios demonstrate more focus on vocabulary that is subject specific and bridging between both skills or knowledge acquired in Nursery and the understanding needed for their transition to Key Stage 1 (KS1) curriculum. 

The children have enjoyed learning about the different seasons of the year and the changes which happen in nature in each season.  We have had a ‘hands-on’ Autumn display in the classroom, looking at conkers, leaves and acorns using magnifying glasses.  The children have enjoyed an Autumn walk on the school field where we collected leaves and acorns.  We worked hard to identify the trees which each leaf came from and talked about the different colours of the leaves.  As part of our work about Harvest we have looked at different fruits and vegetables and categorised them according to these labels.  We chopped different fruits and looked at the seeds inside.  Whilst looking at the book ’10,000 Dresses’ we investigated different types of clothing and discussed what we would wear in different weather.  The children were able to identify waterproof features of clothing to be worn in the rain and the Winter to keep them warm and dry.  We have also been enjoying playing in the mud kitchen and looking for bugs in our new bug hotel.  We even found a frog in the sand pit one morning and enjoyed releasing it back into the pond.

Key Stage 1 – Years 1 and 2

Children in years one and two enjoy the practical aspects of learning science by asking questions, suggest answers and their ideas, gathering and recording data to help in answering questions, observing closely the world around them and using simple equipment, to perform simple tests and when identifying and classifying.

Learning within year one included naming materials that everyday objects are made from, explained the difference between an object and material and described the properties of materials.  Then they learn about the changes that take place during the months of autumn through exploration and observation, learnt about equipment used to collect information about the weather and presented data using a graph.  In addition, there were opportunities to sort materials by their properties using a Venn diagram, investigate which material is stronger for the Three Little Pigs house and finding the materials hidden inside a robot.

The opportunities in year two were to describe how humans change as they grow, describing how an animal changes as it grows, to describe the basic needs of humans and other animals, describing a healthy diet, giving reasons why humans need to exercise which needed children to gather information and use it to answer questions. In the latter weeks, children could describe how and why to keep themselves clean and to explain the life cycle of a frog.

In Year 1 the children have been learning all about materials. We tested the properties of materials and spent time grouping and sorting materials in different ways. We then carried out an investigation to find the strongest material for The Three Little Pigs to build their house. The plastic bricks were the strongest against the huff and puff of the hairdryer! 

We have also been looking out for signs of autumn around school. We talked about how the leaves change colour, how the weather gets colder and the days get shorter. We made rain gauges which showed more rain falls in autumn than in summer.

This term Year 2 have been working on predicting using scientific knowledge, measuring to make a test fair and forming conclusions based on the outcomes of our investigation work.

Disappearing Candy Canes

We measured temperature, volume of water, and time in this investigation on dissolving and discovered that although the candy canes were no longer visible, they were still present in the water – a quick taste test helped us to experience this! We came to the conclusion that the hotter the water the faster the candy cane dissolved.

The Great Bauble Race

In this investigation we took 2 very different sized and shaped balloons and made bauble rockets on a line of string with drinking straws. We thought about what might happen based on the different designs of the balloons and wrote down our predictions trying to explain why. We blew up the balloons and measured the distance each travelled several times. A lot of fun and a great opportunity to put our measuring skills into practice. The children were introduced to the scientific concepts of friction, air resistance and thrust in this engaging investigation.

Lower Key Stage 2 – Years 3 and 4

Our children are able to build on the skills and understand practised in key stage 1 and improve their knowledge for how to investigate using practical comparative and fair tests.  Their observations become more systematic with careful observation and accurate measurements using a range of scientific and maths equipment.

To help answer I wonder questions our children gather, record, classify and present data in a variety of ways, record their findings using simple scientific language, drawings, labelled diagrams, keys or using what they’ve learnt in maths by using bar charts and tables.

Our lower key stage 2 children report on findings from their enquiries using verbal and written explanations, displays or presentations of their results and conclusions.  They use their reading skills to research existing scientific evidence to answer questions or to support their findings.

From these results they are then able to draw simple conclusions, make predictions, suggest improvements and ask further questions that enable them to identifying the differences, similarities or changes related to simple scientific ideas and processes.

Children in year three have been recording what they know about rock, know how to investigate like a scientist, record what they know about soil, know how to investigate with an experiment, record what they know about fossils, know how rock types are formed, learned about a famous scientist, know the rock cycle, know how to record an investigation, assess what I know about their skeleton, use poetry to remember (about bones, tendons and muscles), know the three functions when comparing skeletons.

To help retain what they learnt, opportunities were given to form links between rocks, soils and fossils and learning of Foundation subjects such as the formation of Iceland and volcanic activity in the subject of geography.

In year four children learnt about states of matter, identify states of matter and investigate if gas has a mass, investigate the melting point of chocolate, understood and described the water cycle, to identify the part played by evaporation and condensation in the water cycle (geography link), to group animals by a given characteristic, classify vertebrates and invertebrates, learned about environmental changes and researched an endangered animal.

To help the children understand how particles behaved in different states of matter, we took the learning outside this year. Each group of children were either ‘solid’, ‘liquid’ or ‘gas’ and demonstrated how the particles behave. Can you guess which is which?

Upper Key Stage 2 – Years 5 & 6

During the final two years at our school our children will have many opportunities to challenge themselves and refine their practical science skills with a greater focus on controlling variables where required.  In addition to accurate measurements, the use of repeat reading and awareness of precision is learnt.  The recording of data and presentation of results becomes more complex using additional data handling skills learnt during maths lessons, such as the use of scatter and line graphs.  Further understanding of comparative and fair testing is developed and computer programs such as MS Excel or MS Publisher are incorporated in their verbal and written displays and presentations.  Additional skills learnt within English are used when existing scientific evidence can be used to support or refute ideas or arguments.

Year five have been learning about the spherical earth, researched and given information about the planets, explored changes in planetary models, used scientific diagrams to explain night and day, created an information poster about the moon, explored and identified force, investigated the effect of gravity and air resistance and most recently explored a range of mechanisms.

Year 6, despite having the latter weeks of their schooling interrupted, identified the seven life processes, understood how living things are classified using the Linnaean system, know about the key characteristics of vertebrates which can be used to help classification, identified types of micro-organism and described how some are helpful and some are harmful, planned a micro-organism investigation with mould, drew a conclusion from their mould (micro-organism) investigation, identified how living things have changed over time and how fossils provide information about changes over millennia and most recently were learning about Charles Darwin.

Within Science in Year 5 we have the explored the topics of Earth and space and forces. As part of our focus, we explored the development of scientific ideas, from those originated from Aristotle, progressing to Copernicus and Galileo. Additionally, we produce a fact poster about the planets and used force meters to investigate both mass and weight.

We have also conducted a number of investigations in relation to our work on forces and these have included testing a range of parachutes and testing the impact of drag upon paper planes.

In the first half of Autumn Term, Y6 have been learning about Living Things. Take a look at MRS GREN.  What does she help us remember?  We also found out about Carl Linnaeus’ classification system.  Take a look at the Internet research which we conducted to classify some animals.

Y6 found out about Charles Darwin in the second half of Autumn Term in their unit about Evolution and Inheritance. Look at some of these astounding PowerPoints which Y6 produced about him as a homework task.

We also enjoyed studying a map of the Galapagos Islands and deduced where different finches may live according to their environment.

Enrichment Opportunities

Government restrictions and risk assessments have hindered the offering of opportunities from outreach educators, educational visits, in school science events and even in class experiences from parents and carers with scientific areas of expertise who bring equipment, exhibits or just convey their passion for this subject of science

However, discussions are being maintained so that these can resume, hopefully in the Spring term, but more probably during the summer term.

Spring Term 2020 

Up to the last few weeks of the Spring term, we continued to provide many opportunities for our children to learn and practise science skills.  We focussed on the three strands for science which are scientific knowledge and understanding, understanding the nature, processes and methods of science and to understand the uses and implications of science within their world. 

EYFS – Nursery and Reception 

The practical, hands on exploration of science where children can use the school gardens and outdoor areas develops the keenness to ask ‘I wonder…?’ questions about habitat and environment.  Throughout indoor and outdoor opportunities children explore real-life examples of life cycles and food chains.  Practical investigations and experiments help them consider states of matter using ice and water.  The sand area is a great place to witness the hydrophilic properties and water permeability of sand.  Our children have opportunities to recognise irreversible reactions caused by heat on food and other materials. 

Inspired by the story of ‘The Three Little Pigs’ the children started to investigate different materials.  They had a scavenger hunt around Nursery to look for items made from wood, metal, fabric and paper.  The children talked about some of the properties of each material and why things are made from each material.  They then decided to explore magnets.  The children loved to explore magnetic and non- magnetic materials.  They introduced a magnet investigation table and learned some new vocabulary through play such as how magnets can both attract and repel each other.  

During the topic about the season of Spring they began to look at lifecycles.  The children were very lucky to have some frogspawn in the Nursery.  Children talked about the lifecycle of a frog and how the frogspawn changes into tadpoles, then froglets and finally frogs.  They talked about the food that tadpoles and frogs eat and the length of time it would take for a frog to become an adult.  Mr Shackler helped children to move the tadpoles into the school pond.  The children look forward to seeing them grow. 

The adults from Reception class explain how and what their children have been learning. 

We have had some special guests visit; Giant African Albino land snails.  Melissa (our student nurse) kindly brought in her pet snails, we met Storm (darker shelled snail) and Sunshine (lighter shelled snail).  Melissa told us that the snails absolutely love cucumbers.  We offered them cucumber pieces and watched them emerge from their shells.  We discovered that they are albino snails as their bodies are white in colour and their shells are lighter in colour too.  We discovered that snails are part of the Mollusc family and they have a ‘foot’ under their body which they use to move around, leaving a slimy trail called a snail trail.  We used the internet to discover that snail shells grow with them as they grow in size, these snails can grow up to 18cm long!  The snails breathe through a pallial lung (instead of gills) which is located on the right side of their body.   

We asked “What happened to all of the snow?”.  We have been looking at what happens to snow and ice and why they disappear.  The children discovered how snow falls from clouds and can turn to ice (from rain) as it travels down to the ground and then snow settles depending on the temperature of the ground.  We looked at the conditions needed to make snow and ice melt (indoors and outdoors) and even learnt an unexpected new word - Sublimation!   We went on a hunt to see if there was any snow or ice remaining after a recent snowy day.  We have been observing snow and ice (which we collected) to see how it changed over the course of the day.  We really do have some enthusiastic little scientists in Reception! 

We completed a Science Experiment - Rocket Mice!  The children worked in teams to design a mouse to send up into the sky.  We talked about how to make the mouse move using the milk bottle, we made predictions about where the mouse might land and evaluated what we did by talking about what we would change next time if we repeated the activity.  The children used language such as velocity, air, speed, direction and launch to describe what they were doing. 

Key Stage 1 –Year One and Year Two 

Children in years one and two continued to enjoy the practical aspects of learning science by asking questions, suggesting answers and ideas, gathering and recording data to help in answering questions, observing closely the world around them and using simple equipment, to perform simple tests and when identifying and classifying. 

Year 1 have been learning all about living things.  The children can name and describe different animals, sorting them into groups while thinking about their bodies, how they move and what they eat.  The children also found out more about humans and labelled parts of the human body. They know all about the five senses and the amazing things our bodies can do!

Year 2 showed a great understanding of different materials and if they can be re-used/recycled or went in a landfill site.  Just before the premature end to this Spring term the children were learning all about the seven life processes using MRS GREN to help them to remember each one of them.  It was surprisingly tricky to work out if something was living, dead or had never been alive (think about a pencil made from wood!) but after some discussion the class became much more confident in doing so. 

Lower Key Stage 2 – Year Three and Year Four 

Our children build on the skills and understand practised in key stage 1 and improve their knowledge for how to investigate using practical comparative and fair tests.  Their observations become more systematic with careful observation and accurate measurements using a range of scientific and maths equipment. 

Year 3 children reported on findings from their enquiries using verbal and written explanations, displays or presentations of their results and conclusions.  They used their reading skills to research existing scientific evidence to answer questions and to support their findings.  From these results they were able to draw simple conclusions, make predictions, suggest improvements and ask further questions that enabled them to identify the differences, similarities or changes relating to simple scientific ideas and processes. 

The Year 4 teacher explains that children have completed their focus on electricity. 

This included work on developing and constructing our own electronic game which needed us to apply our knowledge and understanding of complete circuits, electrical conductors and electrical insulators.  We had great fun testing them out afterwards and some of them were very challenging indeed.  We have also begun a key focus on sound and our understanding of what makes sounds and how sound waves travel. 

In addition to these, we have taken part in the Pittington Science Week activities and explored a range of bottles to deduce which would be the best to propel a flying mouse rocket.  The children explored the variable, identified key materials and made scientific deductions within the conclusion. 

Upper Key Stage 2 – Year Five and Year Six 

During the final two years at our school our children will have many opportunities to challenge themselves and refine their practical science skills with a greater focus on controlling variables where required.  In addition to accurate measurements, the use of repeat readings and awareness of precision is learnt.  The recording of data and presentation of results becomes more complex using additional data handling skills learnt during maths lessons, such as the use of scatter and line graphs.  Further understanding of comparative and fair testing is developed and computer programs such as MS Excel or MS Publisher are incorporated in their verbal and written displays and presentations.  Additional skills learnt within English are used when existing scientific evidence can be used to support or refute ideas or arguments. 

In our work on forces Year 5 have been exploring friction and the affect it has on objects.  We looked at different grips on shoes and how effective they were on different surfaces, we talked about times when friction was useful and when reduced friction is of benefit.  The children watched experiments with skis and designed an experiment to carry out on a slide in the early years garden using different materials and surfaces.  The children recorded results and repeated their investigation after further discussions of about reliability and fair testing. 

In Science this term, Y6 have focussed on electricity explains the teacher. 

We have explored the benefit of parallel circuits over series circuits and investigated the variations in electrical circuits caused by changes in components.  We have also been learning about light and how it travels in straight lines. 

You will see in the slideshow that we had to label a diagram correctly and the children needed to remember about the angle of incident and reflection! 

To celebrate Science Week, Y6 carried out a great investigation about how far a cone could travel after being ejected from a milk carton! 

Enrichment opportunities 

Children within each key stage periodically have opportunities to experiences such as the visiting inflatable planetarium, whole day visits to Newcastle’s Life Science Centre, in school science events and in class experiences thanks to visiting outreach educators or parents and carers with scientific areas of expertise who bring equipment, exhibits or just convey their passion for this subject of science.

Autumn Term 2019

At Pittington Primary School we provide many opportunities for our children to learn and practise science skills.  As part of the National Curriculum we have three strands for science which are scientific knowledge and understanding, understanding the nature, processes and methods of science and to understand the uses and implications of science within our world.

EYFS

This autumn children have been thinking the rhythms of the seasons that they experience and their features.  The children discussed autumn and read about what happens to the trees, plants and animals as the season develops. Throughout the season they maintained an autumn table where the children gathered different treasures that they had found outside that signalled the season.  They researched how different trees have different types of seeds and how these seeds are adapted to benefit the needs of the trees.  The children monitored changes in the leaves as the season progressed.  As autumn turned to winter they once again looked at how the season changed around us, the lack of leaves on the trees and the increasing amount of ice that can be seen in the school gardens.

Opportunities include learning about keeping healthy and making healthier choices with food, whereby they spoke about school dinners and the choices they can make themselves now they have started school (drinking more water, choosing fruit for pudding and visiting the salad bar). 

Through the EYFS small world equipment, the children are bringing the natural world to life through play.  They have been investigating underwater life, the arctic, prehistoric dinosaurs and mini-beasts through their resources!

Key Stage 1 – Working like a scientist

Children in years one and two enjoy the practical aspects of learning science by asking questions, suggest answers and their ideas, gathering and recording data to help in answering questions, observing closely the world around them and using simple equipment, to perform simple tests and when identifying and classifying.

Learning includes learning all about materials.  They tested the properties of materials and spent time grouping and sorting materials in different ways.  They then carried out an investigation to find the most suitable material for Spencer Bear’s raincoat.  The next step for progression was to find out that some materials have properties that make them perfect for some uses and less so for others.  The children investigated different materials that change shape, noting that not of all of them did so in the same way. They then discussed why they were well suited for their purpose.

They have also been looking out for signs of autumn around school and talked about how the leaves change colour and how the weather gets colder. They made rain gauges to find out how much rain fell in Pittington.

Keystage 2 – Years three and four

Our children are able to build on the skills and understand practised in key stage 1 and improve their knowledge for how to investigate using practical comparative and fair tests.  Their observations become more systematic with careful observation and accurate measurements using a range of scientific and maths equipment.

To help answer I wonder questions our children gather, record, classify and present data in a variety of ways, record their findings using simple scientific language, drawings, labelled diagrams, keys or using what they’ve learnt in maths by using bar charts and tables.

Our lower key stage 2 children report on findings from their enquiries suing verbal and written explanations, displays or presentations of their results and conclusions.  They use their reading skills to research existing scientific evidence to answer questions or to support their findings.

From these results they are then able to draw simple conclusions, make predictions, suggest improvements and ask further questions that enable them to identifying the differences, similarities or changes related to simple scientific ideas and processes.

Children have been learning about the links between rocks, soils and fossils.  They have then made connections between science and other learning such as about the formation of continents and volcanic activity in geography.

The topic of States of Matter and Electricity have been explored.  They sorted objects into solids, liquids and gases and even acted as the molecules to show what happens when they change from one form to another.  In addition, they investigated the addition of salt to ice and learnt how it lowers the melting/freezing point.  They have taken part in lots of investigations and this even included weighing the gas evident in fizzy drinks.

Currently, they are working on electricity and have explored the different renewable and non-renewable ways in which it can be generated.  They have also made simple circuits and very much enjoyed working with the electrical components.

Key Stage 2 – Years five and six

During the final two years at our school our children will have many opportunities to challenge themselves and refine their practical science skills with a greater focus on controlling variables where required.  In addition to accurate measurements, the use of repeat reading and awareness of precision is learnt.  The recording of data and presentation of results becomes more complex using additional data handling skills learnt during maths lessons, such as the use of scatter and line graphs.  Further understanding of comparative and fair testing is developed and computer programs such as MS Excel or MS Publisher are incorporated in their verbal and written displays and presentations.  Additional skills learnt within English are used when existing scientific evidence can be used to support or refute ideas or arguments.

They have been learning how living things are classified into broad groups according to common observable characteristics and based on similarities and differences, including microorganisms, plants & animals.  Their science project this term has been on the work of Carl Linneaus and how he developed a binomial system of classification.  To do this the children mapped out the school field and identified the trees by their leaves.  They then created botanical drawings like Linneaus did and made their own Harry Potter inspired Herbology booklets

Enrichment opportunities

Children within each key stage periodically have opportunities to experiences such as the visiting inflatable planetarium, whole day visits to Newcastle’s Life Science Centre, in school science events and in class experiences thanks to visiting outreach educators or parents and carers with scientific areas of expertise who bring equipment, exhibits or just convey their passion for this subject of science.

Acknowledgement from our children goes to Morgan McNally who only a few years ago was enjoying the science curriculum at our school.

Now a pupil at Belmont Community School, he was one of ten finalists shortlisted from over 2000 entrants across the UK  

Summer Term 2019

By the end of this summer term, children will have learnt and practised all the science skills for this academic year.  They will have succeeded with many aspects of developing their scientific knowledge, understanding methods for science investigation and recognise how science affects their world.

EYFS – Nursery and Reception

The outdoor learning area during these recent warm and wet months provided new opportunities to explore science and stimulated their inquisitive minds.  Throughout these indoor and outdoor opportunities children explored real-life examples of life cycles and food chains specific to the warmer days and long daylight hours.  Practical investigations and experiments helped them

Children have been observing changes over time through growing cress and enjoyed caring for the seeds and watching them change. 

They were also boat engineers, looking at floating and sinking and tried to make foil boats to float on water.  To extend this they were challenged to make boats to hold 1p coins.  How many coins do you think one of our boats could hold?

Key Stage 1 –Year One and Year Two

Children in years one and two are now more independent and have enjoyed the many more practical aspects for understanding science by enquiring, sharing what they think and analysing data all to help respond to questions posed by the observations within our school environment.

Throughout the year, children from year one have been exploring the school grounds to look for changes in the seasons.  They found a cocoon as a sign of summer and learnt about the evergreen and deciduous trees.  The children planted flowers in their outdoor planters so they could enjoy watching them grow in June and July.  Year one have also been investigating what seeds need to grow.  As a class, they decided to put one pot of cress seeds in the daylight with no water, one pot in daylight with some water and one with some water in a dark cupboard.

Lower Key Stage 2 – Year Three and Year Four

Our children use the skills and understanding acquired throughout the past months and in key stage 1 to improve how they investigate.  Their observations become more methodical and they more confidently apply their maths knowledge.

Children learnt how to make pizza as part of the living processes topic and they learned how yeast feeds on the sugar to create carbon dioxide – respiration.  

When responding to questions our children have been presenting results using MS Excel and presenting their findings in MS PowerPoint.  Their illustrations and diagrams have been more colourful and detailed, with labels and captions that help explain their scientific knowledge.

Upper Key Stage 2 – Year Five and Year Six

During these past months, our children have used the past years of learning to challenge themselves and refine their investigative scientific skills with more understanding of variables.  Their skills at recognising how precision of measurement does not ensure accuracy is more apparent.  During this summer term, their ability to record measurements, collate data and present results in handwritten form and using MS Office has become more refined.  More use of cross-curricular skills is evident in how their science knowledge and understanding is demonstrated.

Children in year 6 have been completing the curriculum and this has included a focus on the circulatory system and an exploration of sorting and classification.  They have also had a very clear focus on refining their investigative skills.

Enrichment opportunities

Durham University provided EYFS with a fantastic experience linked with the night sky and the solar system.

Spring Term 2019

At Pittington Primary School we provide many opportunities for our children to learn and practise science skills.  As part of the National Curriculum we have three strands for science which are scientific knowledge and understanding, understanding the nature, processes and methods of science and to understand the uses and implications of science within our world.

Opportunities range from looking at earthworms and microhabitats, investigating magnetism and exploring sound waves or understanding life cycles and Carl Linnaeus.

EYFS – Nursery and Reception

The practical, hand on exploration of science where children can use the school gardens and outdoor environment develops the keenness to ask ‘I wonder…?’ questions about habitat and environment.  Throughout these indoor and outdoor opportunities children explore real-life examples of life cycles and food chains.  Practical investigations and experiments help them consider states of matter using ice and water.  The sand area was a great place to witness the hydrophilic properties and water permeability of sand.  Children have opportunities to recognise irreversible reactions caused by heat on food and other materials.

Key Stage 1 –Year One and Year Two

Children in years one and two enjoy the practical aspects of learning science by asking questions, suggest answers and their ideas, gathering and recording data to help in answering questions, observing closely the world around them and using simple equipment, to perform simple tests and when identifying and classifying.

Learning has included observing seasonal variations, comparing the senses between animals and humans and exploring characteristics of each animal group.   Learning outside the classroom occurred when using hoops to explore different microhabitats and the results compared with their predictions.  

Lower Key Stage 2 – Year Three and Year Four

Our children are able to build on the skills and understand practised in key stage 1 and improve their knowledge for how to investigate using practical comparative and fair tests.  Their observations become more systematic with careful observation and accurate measurements using a range of scientific and maths equipment.

Children have experimented with magnetic fields and iron fillings, making cross-curricular links with learning about the earth in science and map reading geography.  During scientific investigations the children use skills practised in maths for data handling. 

Children asked questions such as ‘What is sound?’, ‘What are vibrations?’ and ‘How does sound travel through solids, liquids and gases?’.  This required them to study the structure and function of the ears.  They recognised that there was animal adaption of the ear organ, such as needed for echolocation by bats.  To help with understanding children made

string telephones and explored pitch.  Within the classroom they investigated how loudness was affected by insulating sound materials. 

To help answer I wonder questions our children gather, record, classify and present data in a variety of ways, record their findings using simple scientific language, drawings, labelled diagrams, keys or using what they’ve learnt in maths by using bar charts and tables.

Our lower key stage 2 children report on findings from their enquiries using verbal and written explanations, displays or presentations of their results and conclusions.  They use their reading skills to research existing scientific evidence to answer questions or to support their findings.

From these results they are then able to draw simple conclusions, make predictions, suggest improvements and ask further questions that enable them to identifying the differences, similarities or changes related to simple scientific ideas and processes.

Upper Key Stage 2 – Year Five and Year Six

During the final two years at our school our children will have many opportunities to challenge themselves and refine their practical science skills with a greater focus on controlling variables where required.  In addition to accurate measurements, the use of repeat reading and awareness of precision is learnt.  The recording of data and presentation of results becomes more complex using additional data handling skills learnt during maths lessons, such as the use of scatter and line graphs.  Further understanding of comparative and fair testing is developed and computer programs such as MS Excel or MS Publisher are incorporated in their verbal and written displays and presentations.  Additional skills learnt within English are used when existing scientific evidence can be used to support or refute ideas or arguments.

In greater depth there is the study of life cycles linked more comprehensively with other curriculum subjects to deepen their understanding and application of the skills and knowledge.  The study of electricity is woven into applications within design and technology that incorporate electrical circuits.  The classification of organisms including the life and influence of Carl Linnaeus is researched to learn more about the application of sorting keys and kingdoms.  Practical investigations to study the growth of mould helps children to understand their studies of the Fungi Kingdom. 

Enrichment opportunities

Children within each key stage periodically have opportunities to experiences such as the visiting inflatable planetarium, whole day visits to Newcastle’s Life Science Centre, in school science events and in class experiences thanks to visiting outreach educators or parents and carers with scientific areas of expertise who bring equipment, exhibits or just convey their passion for this subject of science.

Autumn Term 2018

At Pittington Primary School we provide many opportunities for our children to learn and practise science skills.  As part of the National Curriculum we have three strands for science which are scientific knowledge and understanding, understanding the nature, processes and methods of science and to understand the uses and implications of science within our world.

Opportunities range from looking at sweetcorn before it gets onto our dinner plate and once grown unwrapping it like a present to exploring light and how it is seen and applying their knowledge to create periscopes to allow them to see over objects and around corners.  The children did this to help a magical school to defend against dragon attacks by having guards with periscopes on the battlements.  Each group had to pass a periscope code-breaking test.

Key Stage 1 – Working like a scientist

Children in years one and two enjoy the practical aspects of learning science by asking questions, suggest answers and their ideas, gathering and recording data to help in answering questions, observing closely the world around them and using simple equipment, to perform simple tests and when identifying and classifying.

Learning includes exploring outside the classroom, learning more about nutrition and why a balanced diet is so important.  Children have been finding out just what that means.  First of all the class learnt about the different food groups on the ‘Eatwell Plate’ and which they should eat most of and which should be eaten as a treat.  Then they planned a day of healthy eating, making our own choices. 

Keystage 2 – Years three and four

Our children are able to build on the skills and understand practised in key stage 1 and improve their knowledge for how to investigate using practical comparative and fair tests.  Their observations become more systematic with careful observation and accurate measurements using a range of scientific and maths equipment.

To help answer I wonder questions our children gather, record, classify and present data in a variety of ways, record their findings using simple scientific language, drawings, labelled diagrams, keys or using what they’ve learnt in maths by using bar charts and tables.

Our lower key stage 2 children report on findings from their enquiries suing verbal and written explanations, displays or presentations of their results and conclusions.  They use their reading skills to research existing scientific evidence to answer questions or to support their findings.

From these results they are then able to draw simple conclusions, make predictions, suggest improvements and ask further questions that enable them to identifying the differences, similarities or changes related to simple scientific ideas and processes.

Key Stage 2 – Years five and six

During the final two years at our school our children will have many opportunities to challenge themselves and refine their practical science skills with a greater focus on controlling variables where required.  In addition to accurate measurements, the use of repeat reading and awareness of precision is learnt.  The recording of data and presentation of results becomes more complex using additional data handling skills learnt during maths lessons, such as the use of scatter and line graphs.  Further understanding of comparative and fair testing is developed and computer programs such as MS Excel or MS Publisher are incorporated in their verbal and written displays and presentations.  Additional skills learnt within English are used when existing scientific evidence can be used to support or refute ideas or arguments.

Enrichment opportunities

Children within each key stage periodically have opportunities to experiences such as the visiting inflatable planetarium, whole day visits to Newcastle’s Life Science Centre, in school science events and in class experiences thanks to visiting outreach educators or parents and carers with scientific areas of expertise who bring equipment, exhibits or just convey their passion for this subject of science.