At Norfolk Community Primary School, our Science curriculum is designed to spark wonder and curiosity about the natural world. We provide a high-quality science education that establishes the foundations for understanding the world through biology, chemistry, and physics.
Our curriculum is deliberately sequenced to ensure that children build secure schemas over time, helping them to know more, remember more, and do more. This structured approach is vital for our pupils, providing clear anchors to connect new knowledge to prior learning.
We believe science should be an immersive and exhilarating experience. At Norfolk Community Primary, science is:
Hands-on and Fun: Children learn practically, using all their senses to discover the world around them.
Driven by "Light Bulb" Moments: We create opportunities for children to realize the "why" behind how things work.
Relevant and Important: Science is connected to children's daily lives and is integrated across the curriculum.
Collaborative: Science learning is celebrated on displays around the school and carries on at home with parents and guardians.
Inquiry-Based: Children are excited to be "Norfolk Navigators," finding things out for themselves through curiosity and bravery.
The principal focus in KS1 is to enable pupils to experience and observe phenomena, looking closely at the natural and humanly-constructed world.
Curiosity: Children are encouraged to ask questions about what they notice.
Enquiry: They develop understanding through first-hand practical experiences, such as observing changes over time and simple grouping or testing.
Communication: Pupils begin using simple scientific language to talk about their findings to various audiences.
In Years 3 and 4, pupils broaden their scientific view by exploring, talking about, and testing everyday phenomena and the relationships between living things.
Decisive Thinking: Students start making decisions about which type of scientific enquiry—like fair tests or pattern seeking—is best to answer their questions.
Relationships: They begin to develop ideas about functions and interactions within environments.
Recording: Children learn to draw simple conclusions and transition from talking to writing about their findings using scientific vocabulary.
In Years 5 and 6, pupils develop a deeper understanding of a wide range of scientific ideas, including more abstract concepts.
Systematic Analysis: Students analyze functions and interactions more systematically and recognize how scientific ideas change over time.
Evidence-Based: They select the most appropriate enquiry methods and use data and evidence to justify their ideas.
Prediction: Pupils use their knowledge to understand and predict how the world operates.