Science is all around us, allowing children to show curiosity within their surroundings, work together to test their ideas and challenge themselves to develop their own questions, all of which underpin the school values. We want children to develop a love of all things science related so that they can deepen their understanding of the world around them.

At Madginford Primary School, we follow the ‘Developing Experts’ scheme of scientific learning, where children follow a unique science curriculum, allowing them to participate in practical science experiments and activities that are mapped out fully against the national curriculum.

It is important that the ‘big ideas’ of science are followed. At Madginford, we feel these are:

• Theories: Coming up with ideas and thinking about how and why things happen.
• Questions: Science is based on the idea that Scientists can develop theories. They then use these theories to develop questions to prove or disapprove their theory.
• Investigations: Having developed a question, based on variables, scientists then carry out series of tests and investigations that produces results which can be carefully analysed.
• Conclusions: Scientists are able to look at results and explain what they show. This allows them to answer their questions and either prove or disprove their theory. It may prompt new theories that begin the cycle again.

Lessons are planned and sequenced across the school to provide opportunities for children to practise and rehearse key scientific skills of observation, classifying, planning, recording and evaluation. They link these skills to key scientific knowledge, which is built upon in each year group through specific subject areas.

We believe that it is important that children have opportunity to use such scientific skills to help them develop and deepen both their subject knowledge and understanding of important concepts, which they can then apply to their surrounding environment and everyday lives.