Bickershaw Church of England Primary School

Science

Science at Bickershaw Church of England Primary School

Our overarching aim of Science at Bickershaw Church of England Primary School is to harness the children’s natural curiosity to learn about the world around us and to explore phenomena in order to gain knowledge, skills and understanding about the world.  

Our Science curriculum will be underpinned by the drivers of heritage, initiative and possibilities.

1. Heritage Asking the children to interact with the immediate world around them, learning about the flora and fauna of the local area and how it has been shaped by its history such as coal mining, linking to work on Rocks. 
2. Initiative Develop the skills to be critical and independent thinkers when finding out answers to questions about the world; to devise ways of enquiring and finding out their own answers to scientific questions
3. Possibility By learning about famous scientists and their contribution to the world; the range of careers that require a scientific background; inviting parents/carers in that work in a scientific industry to talk to the children.

All children will develop an understanding the world around them through the use of scientific enquiry, developing the skills of critical thinking and drawing conclusions.

All children will develop skills to:

• ask and answer scientific questions;
• plan and carry out scientific investigations, using equipment, including computers, correctly;
• know and understand the life processes of living things;
• know and understand the physical processes of materials, electricity, light, sound and natural forces;
• know about the nature of the solar system, including the earth;
• evaluate evidence and present their conclusions clearly and accurately.

Areas of Learning

More detailed information, regarding what is specifically taught in each year group, can be found in our Progression documents at https://www.bickershaw.wigan.sch.uk/virtual-office/school-curriculum-information 

Useful Website and Apps

BBC Bitesize KS1 and KS2	Primary Homework Help	Explorify
Twinkl ARchitect - Apple Experiment with forces, materials, friction and surfaces	Dynamite Learning Apps - Apple KS1 Year 5&6	Inventioneers - Apple and Android Apple Android
Little Alchemy - Apple and Android Apple Android	Science Experiments Alpha Lab Android	The Human Body Apple Android alternative

Raising a Science Minded Child

Children are naturally curious, often asking 'How?', 'Why?' and 'What?'. These are the building blocks for scientific enquiry. 

Fun ideas to do at home to develop Science

Make Slime - Measure and mix. What makes it slimy? Why is it gooey?

Floating and Sinking - Which materials float in my bath? Which sink? Why?

Snow and Ice - Why has this frozen? When will it melt?

Marble Runs - Why does the marble go down? Can the marble go up-hill? Which materials slow the marble down? Which make it speed up?

Outdoors - Why are the clouds moving? What's happening to the leaves on the trees? 

Websites with easy experiments you can do at home - https://sciencebob.com/category/experiments/ and https://www.rigb.org/families/experimental