Intent
At Melton we intend to develop all children into knowledgeable scientists and curious thinkers:
- Persistent in their efforts to find answers to questions about the world around them.
- Methodical in the way that they approach problems and reflective about what they have found out.
- Conscientious about how they achieve results and value attention to detail.
Through investigation, research and exploration of the three main scientific subjects (physics, chemistry and biology) we aim to inspire a passion and sense of responsibility in all children for the environment they live in and the world as a whole.
All children will learn how to work and think scientifically, developing skills through experiences that will broaden their understanding of the scope of careers that are available to them.
Implementation
All KS1 and KS2 classes have the equivalent of two hours of science-focused learning per week in which lessons:
- are question led and driven by enquiry and discussion
- develop and rationalise understanding of concepts through practical application
- build new knowledge and add to existing understanding
- practise the skills of prediction, following method, concluding and evaluating
- provide opportunities to communicate thinking and findings through written, visual and oral form
- teach the importance of using scientific equipment safely and with precision
- are linked to class topics and cover knowledge within the three disciplines of science
- utilise ICT to benefit scientific learning and presentation
- encourage the application of The Melton Way.
Impact
The impact of scientific learning can be seen in many ways throughout our curriculum. As with all topics, science is neatly woven into our termly themes and links to historical, geographical and other subject learning. This is displayed in all classes. Here are a few more examples where science drives our children’s learning:
- Year 1 and 2 have been out and about on an Autumn Walk learning about weather and season changes, measuring and displaying data in weather charts and making comparisons with real life. They have also been investigating materials, which links further to their class text!
- Year 3 and 4 have gone back to the Stone Age using their class text, Stig of the Dump, as an inspiration to explore! The two classes visied Dunwich Heath to collect and compare soil samples from the woodland and beach. They also identified rocks from the beach and classified them using their knowledge of sedimentary, igneous and metamorphic processes!
- At the top end of school, year 5 and 6 have been investigating Sound by linking it to their WWII learning. By role-playing as solids, liquids and gases, they were able to visually explain how sound travels through certain mediums faster. This helped them create their very own air raid siren sound, which was loud enough to warn the citizens of incoming danger! They also used data loggers to measure the volume of sounds in decibels and conducted an investigation linked to distance.
As well as day-to-day learning in our rich curriculum, we offer all children opportunities to fully immerse themselves in STEM (science, technology, engineering and maths) subjects with trips, such as to Tunstall Forest with the Hands-On-Heritage team, BT Adastral Park (Innovation) and Science Week events. Within school, we also celebrate an annual STEM week with focus events during which children are given multiple opportunities to apply key STEM skills in a range of challenges and ‘out of the ordinary’ challenges.
