Mayfield Church of England Primary School

At Mayfield CE Primary School, our science education aims to give children the foundations for understanding the world both for today and for the future, giving them ‘wings to soar’. Beginning in the EYFS, children are encouraged to be naturally curious about our amazing world. We provide a stimulating, engaging and challenging learning environment, with all children being provided with opportunities to explore our wonderful school grounds and local woodland areas. Throughout our school, children are encouraged to develop and use a range of scientific skills including questioning, researching and observing. We know that our children learn best through hands-on experiences, so we ensure that we can provide a range of opportunities to actively carry out different types of scientific enquiries. We ensure that working scientifically and application of knowledge is embedded into the heart of our science curriculum. We want our children to have a broad scientific vocabulary. Scientific language is built upon as topics are revisited in different year groups and across key stages. Our intent is for all our children to be life- long learners who are: inquisitive, independent thinkers, confident to ask ‘Big Questions’ and who are well prepared for their future in the ever-changing world.

At Mayfield Primary School, teachers create a positive attitude to science learning within their classrooms and reinforce an expectation that all children are capable of achieving high standards in science. Through our planning, we involve problem solving opportunities that allow children to find out for themselves. Our children are encouraged to ask their own questions and they are given opportunities to use their scientific and research skills to discover the answers. Planning involves teachers creating engaging lessons, using a range of resources to aid understanding. We build upon the learning and skill development of the previous years, therefore developing depth of understanding and progression of skills. Children explore, question, predict, plan, carry out investigations and observations as well as conclude their findings. As their knowledge and understanding increases, the children become increasingly confident in their growing ability to come to conclusions based on real evidence. Working Scientifically skills are embedded into lessons to ensure these skills are being developed throughout the children’s school career, and new vocabulary and challenging concepts are introduced through direct teaching. This is developed through the years, in keeping with the topics.