Science
Curriculum Intent
At Trinity, we endeavour to provide an exceptional, enquiry- led science education that enables every learner to be a scientist and have a secure understanding of what science is. We develop confident and inquisitive scientists, who work scientifically to make sense of the world around them. Our science curriculum fosters a healthy curiosity in children about our universe and promotes respect and understanding for the living and non-living. We want all our pupils to develop a lifelong love of science, cultivated by first hand learning experiences in our variety of nurturing environments. At Trinity, we hope that our science curriculum offer is used as a vehicle to promote our whole school community to make a difference to our local community and the wider world.
Sequencing and Progression
The curriculum map is designed in such a way that children are able to build on their prior learning. Enquiry skills are revisited and consolidated within each unit and children's knowledge of how to run an investigation is built on throughout each year and across year groups. Some units are taught in more than one year group, to ensure breadth and depth of knowledge and consolidation of scientific skills.
What does science look like at Trinity?
In the Early Years, children have the opportunity to engage in play, explore, create and think critically through the use of indoor and outdoor learning where they are able to ask questions about the world around them.
From Y1-6, children have a weekly, hour long science lesson. There is a significant focus on encouraging children to work scientifically through continuity and progression of essential enquiry skills. Children are provided with the opportunity to develop scientific knowledge and conceptual understanding through six key skills which include, research, observation over time, identification and classification, pattern seeking, comparative testing and exploration. Their science lessons enable them to take part in practical experiments which allows them to use a wide range of resources to lead the learning and make their own discoveries.
Through our science lessons, children are able to investigate problems, learn how science works and discover why science matters in the world to support them in becoming successful scientists.
Pupils' exposure to practical science is well invested in throughout their time at Trinity. From a virtual science club open to all, through to external workshops in collaboration with the Ogden Trust. Pupils take part in Primary Engineering competitions each year as well as trips and visits to the Science museum, transport museums and our local wetlands conservation area.
Early Years
In Nursery and Reception, children develop curiosity of the wider world around them and are given opportunities to investigate in our indoor and outdoor provision. Children have regular opportunities to visit our forest school space to explore mini-beasts and care for plants. They will begin to develop their knowledge and understanding of the world around them.
Key Stage One
In Year 1 and 2, children are becoming resilient and logical thinkers, who are able to pose enquiry questions and consider how they could find out the answers to what they want to know. They are beginning to understand the shape that an investigation takes.
Key Stage Two
By the end of KS2, children will understand format that an investigation takes and will be able to hypothesise, investigate, draw conclusions and evaluate. Children will be able to think of their own enquiry questions and be able to consider how to investigate them, using what they already know.
