Science

Science at Archibald builds on the Early Years, where children explore seasons, plants, animals, materials and their senses through Understanding the World. It is built on the Cornerstones Curriculum and sequenced so that pupils have the knowledge and vocabulary each new concept depends on before it is introduced. The human body is a clear example. Pupils learn body parts and the senses in Year 1 and survival needs in Year 2. In Key Stage 2 they study one body system at a time: skeletal and muscular in Year 3, digestive in Year 4, reproduction and ageing in Year 5 and circulatory in Year 6. Each time, they compare humans with other animals. Electricity follows the same pattern, from simple circuits, conductors and insulators in Year 4 to standard symbols and the effect of voltage in Year 6.

Working scientifically is taught within each topic rather than separately. Pupils observe, compare, classify, predict, carry out fair tests and draw conclusions from evidence, with growing independence in planning their own enquiries. Topics are timed so that growing plants and observing animals happen at the right point in the year. Learning is reinforced through other subjects: rocks and soils are taught through the geography project Rocks, Relics and Rumbles, and Plant Nutrition and Reproduction runs alongside the DT project Greenhouse. Scientific vocabulary is taught explicitly and revisited. Teachers use questioning and assessment to identify misconceptions and plan next steps. By the end of Year 6, pupils can explain key concepts in biology, chemistry and physics and plan, carry out and evaluate their own investigations.