Kings Hill School Primary & Nursery

Science

Intent

At Kings Hill School and Nursery, our intent is:

• To build scientific knowledge and acquire scientific vocabulary sequentially developing conceptual understanding progressively through each year group.
• To explore ideas by developing scientific enquiry and investigative skills such as observing and classifying and be able to apply mathematical skills to support their interpretations and analysis.
• To become curious scientists asking questions about the world around them, and using their knowledge and skills to seek answers and draw conclusions.
• To acquire knowledge of the uses and implications of science both today and in the future and experiment, question and analyse with responsibility, resilience respect, courage and cooperation.

Implementation

We are currently trialling the new Kent Science Scheme of work. 

We are committed to implementing this vision by providing stimulating, practical experiences for all children in the school, weekly. Consequently, promoting a responsibility for independent learning, fuelling their natural curiosities and nurturing a love for scientific enquiry and knowledge. Lessons will be sequenced, demonstrating progression and cohesion throughout each topic. Learning will be enhanced and enriched through the use of school trips and visits from scientific experts. Children will have the opportunity to work collaboratively, fostering scientific discussion and sharing knowledge and experiences. Classroom displays will exhibit key questions and key vocabulary, ensuring children are exposed to these.

Children will use a range of skills including observations, planning and investigations, and encouraged to question and explore the world around them. They will have the opportunity to learn about key scientists linked to their topics, and how science has developed over time through the discovery of life changing scientific theories.

Impact

The impact of our Science curriculum is that all children develop the scientific knowledge and skills needed to be successful at Key Stage Three science. 

Science News

• Monday 4 December 2023 Earth and Space Year 5 have had a busy few weeks! In Science we have continued learning about Earth and Space, understanding how we get day, night and the seasons. We worked in groups to demonstrate and explain this, putting our learning into practice using globes and torches.
• Friday 13 October 2023 Year 1 Taste Test! This week, Year 1 have been scientists carrying out a taste investigation. We tried different foods and identified how they tasted. Some children even thought the lemon tasted sweet which was a surprising result. We did all agree that the crisps were salty though.
• Friday 13 October 2023 Devil's Coach-horse beetles Year 4 children went to up to the pond area in order to begin to identify, classify and organise different living things in the grounds of the school. All manner of different creatures were discovered in this area, from spiders and worms to centipedes and devil’s coach-horse beetles and many others in between. Year 4 then looked at different habitats and how the different creatures were adapted to live in these places, a great afternoon!
• Wednesday 11 October 2023 Year 2 Outdoor Science The children thoroughly enjoyed the first activity, which was building mouse houses. This activity was designed to link our Science lessons. The children had the opportunity to apply their knowledge of animal’s needs to survive and habitats and use their imagination to create comfortable and safe homes for the mice. It was truly delightful to witness their teamwork, enthusiasm and problem-solving skills.
• Sunday 8 October 2023 Stick Skeletons! This week, Year 3 started the week with outdoor day. We had a fantastic time making skeletons out of sticks and then labelling them using the vocabulary that we have learnt in Science this term. The children identified the skull, ribcage, femur and spine and could present what the function of these parts of the skeleton were. Great job!
• Friday 15 September 2023 Year 4 - Classification of animals Year 4 have been sorting and classifying animals into different groups. The children have been sorting according to different categories and thinking about how living things can be labelled as they investigate their different classes. Very quickly, Year 4 realised that although plants and animals are alive, they are very different. The children then began to sub-divide into different areas of the world in which the different plant and animal kingdoms reside. All in all, a real eye-opening lesson that shows the variety of life around us all.
• Tuesday 8 November 2022 Properties and Changes of Materials Our topic of focus in science this term in Year 5 is ‘Properties and Changes of Materials’. The children have had a great time taking part in an experiment to answer the question ‘What are materials and properties’ They tested various materials and properties and checked for magnetism, hardness, transparency, flexibility and permeability. They then recorded their results and wrote up the process and conclusion of their scientific investigation.
• Friday 21 October 2022 Year 2 Trip to Howletts Zoo Year 2 had a wonderful day at Howlett’s Zoo! The children enjoyed learning about different habitats and adaptations from one of the rangers at zoo. They found out lots of information about different types of animals and were able to consolidate all of their learning in science. They impressed the zoo keepers with their knowledge of how animals are able to adapt to their habitats, particularly when discussing a polar bear. The children were able to see a range of animals on their trip such as gorillas, elephants, lemurs, tigers, lions, snow leopards and many more! They represented the school extremely well and were beautifully behaved. What a fantastic day we had, well done Year 2!
• Tuesday 18 October 2022 Year 3 - Plants Year 3 have been lucky enough to take a day to learn knowledge about their science outside the classroom. We started the day with the story of the beginning of the life cycle of a flowering plant by ordering the germination process from beginning to end, then leading to children creating their own germination story from natural materials. After break, the children went searching around the grounds for different seeds and tree fruits. After lunch, we looked at the fertilisation process and completed a quiz in the meadow area which was very fun! The children had a great day and enjoyed learning outside the classroom.
• Friday 7 October 2022 Year 5 Comparing Habitats Year 5 extended their knowledge of habitats on the school grounds by comparing two different habitats (the pond area and the meadow). They explored the reasons why insects may live there and learnt about the life cycle of a flowering plant and how their seeds are dispersed.
• Friday 30 September 2022 Year 4 Classification of Living Things Year 4 went to up to the pond area in order to identify, classify and organise different living things in the grounds of the school.
• Thursday 12 May 2022 Light Investigation Year 3 have dived straight in to their new Science topic - light! This week, they investigated what they would need in order to see objects in the dark and also how light travelled. The children used a variety of items underneath boxes and tried to find out if they would be able to see them. They discovered light travels in straight lines, and we need light to see. We also learnt about white light and the fact light is the fastest moving thing in the universe.
• Wednesday 30 March 2022 Young Eco Engineers Over the last 2 terms, a group of year 6 children have been involved in the Young Eco Engineers project building a kit car which they will be racing against other schools in June. Each week the children meet after school to continue with the build.
• Thursday 17 March 2022 Science Assembly This week has also been British Science Week. We started the week with an assembly about 'growth' which is the theme for this year. Then on Thursday, Mr Field, who is a secondary science teacher at the Malling School came into school to carry out exciting science assemblies for both younger and older children. The children were amazed at some of the experiments and learnt about biology, chemistry and physics !
• Sunday 12 December 2021 Year 1 Science Vertebrates Year 1 have been looking at Vertebrates in their Science lessons so we decided to go outside and see what vertebrates we could find in our school grounds. Firstly we looked at all the different groups of animals that have a backbone: Fish, Mammals, Reptiles, Amphibians and Birds and played a sorting game in groups and a run around quiz. Armed with lots of knowledge, we set out in pairs with clipboards to find as many of these animal groups as possible. In the afternoon we got creative and made an animal from the mammal group out of leaves and sycamore seeds, a Christmas Reindeer!