Science
At Mary Exton Primary School, we believe that Science plays a vital role in helping children understand the world around them and develop the curiosity, creativity and critical thinking skills needed to explore it. Our curriculum encourages pupils to ask questions, investigate ideas and make sense of scientific phenomena through exploration and evidence. We aim to nurture a love of science while developing resilient, confident learners who understand the importance of science in everyday life and its role in solving problems and shaping the future.
Our Science curriculum, delivered through the White Rose Science scheme, provides a carefully sequenced and progressive programme from Reception to Year 6. Pupils develop a secure understanding of key scientific concepts across biology, chemistry and physics while building the knowledge, vocabulary and skills needed to think and work scientifically. Children revisit and deepen their understanding of important ideas over time, making connections between prior learning and new concepts. The curriculum ensures pupils explore science in meaningful contexts and develop an understanding of how scientific knowledge applies to the world around them.
Science is taught weekly through a combination of knowledge development and practical investigation. Lessons provide opportunities for pupils to observe, question, predict, investigate, record and analyse, developing key scientific enquiry skills including observing over time, classifying, pattern seeking, comparative and fair testing, and researching using secondary sources. Teachers explicitly develop scientific vocabulary and encourage children to communicate their ideas clearly using evidence to support their conclusions. Practical activities, discussion and links with other curriculum areas enable pupils to experience science as an active and investigative subject. Assessment through observation, recorded work, practical investigations and assessment points ensures that learning is progressive and that all pupils are supported to develop their scientific knowledge, skills and confidence.
Below are key documents that provide a clear overview of our Science curriculum and demonstrate how it is delivered across the school. They outline the progression of knowledge, skills, and scientific enquiry from Early Years to Year 6, showing how pupils build on prior learning and develop a deep understanding of scientific concepts over time. These resources also highlight how working scientifically is embedded across topics and illustrate the progression of technical vocabulary and investigative skills, providing a comprehensive view of how Science is taught and assessed at Mary Exton Primary School.
