Science at Farnborough Grange

Intent

At Farnborough Grange Nursery and Infant School, we encourage our children to be naturally curious about the world around them. Through a strong emphasis on investigative work, children are encouraged to think and work like real-life scientists.   

Through our exciting and relevant enquiry-based curriculum, we ensure that children develop the skills that allow them to work scientifically. Therefore, children become confident in:  

- Asking questions and recognising that they can be answered in different ways  

- Observing closely, using simple equipment  

- Designing and performing simple tests  

- Identifying and classifying objects and materials  

- Using their observations and ideas to answer real-life scientific questions  

- Gathering and recording data to help in answering questions and proving their answers  

Our extensive grounds and local area allow opportunities, both inside and outside of the classroom, for the children to develop enquiring minds as well as essential scientific skills such as observation, questioning, prediction, planning, hypothesising, interpreting data and communicating their results in a variety of ways. They are encouraged to discover for themselves through investigations, answering their own questions and solving problems. 

Implementation

• At Farnborough Grange Nursery & Infant Community School, Science topics are taught within each year group in accordance with both the Early Years Foundation Stage and National Curriculum.  

• We offer a broad, enquiry-based curriculum of learning which will both engage and excite the children and develop their understanding of the world around them.  

• Teachers promote exciting and engaging experiences through which the children can develop and use the basic skills and concepts of the three areas of Science – Biology, Chemistry and Physics.   

• Children will learn essential scientific skills such as observation, questioning, prediction, planning, hypothesising, interpreting data and communicating their results in a variety of ways.  

• Each lesson will begin with retrieval practice as a way of reviewing previous learning and giving the children the opportunity to share what they already know about a topic.  

• We will celebrate diversity in science and delve deeper into science during STEM week.  

• Teachers use assessment for learning in each lesson to ensure misconceptions are highlighted and addressed.  

• By using such assessment tools, differentiation can then be facilitated by teachers in order to ensure that each pupil is able to access the Science curriculum.  

EYFS 

• The EYFS Curriculum supports children’s understanding of science through the planning and teaching of ‘Understanding the World’.  This involves guiding children to make sense of their physical world and their community.  The frequency and range of children’s personal experiences increases their knowledge and sense of the world around them.  Offering these rich opportunities will help them to develop their ‘Characteristics of Effective Learning.’  

• Teachers plan for enriching opportunities in both the indoor and outdoor areas where children will have the opportunity to find out about different materials, objects and living things.  They will look at similarities, differences, patterns and change in topics such as the weather and lifecycles of plants, tadpoles and butterflies.  The children will also explore mini-beasts and their habitats.  

Our Science Learning

The children in Year 2 planted their own bean seeds.  They observed the changes to the plants each week and recorded their findings.