Why do we learn science?
Pupils at Ark Conway find awe and wonder in the world around them and this is directly encouraged by our Science curriculum. Our approach to Science is to inspire curiosity in all our pupils to want to discover the Scientific concepts that rule our environment and constantly ask and seek the answer to ‘Why?’.
We believe that our Science curriculum should excite all pupils through the learning of key Scientific skills and concepts all of which is underpinned by the practical element of investigations, experiments and exploration. An understanding of the world around them and the laws that govern their universe inspires our pupils to see Science as a career opportunity to positively contribute to their own futures and the future of our planet.
Our approach
Our teachers interact with a high-quality knowledge-based curriculum called ‘Ark Curriculum+’. This Science curriculum progresses children through the necessary skills and concepts to allow them to be active members of the STEM community in their wider lives. Children are taught units which correlate with the 3 key aspects of Science: Physics, Biology and Chemistry. These key aspects are taught in every year group and there is a clear progression of skills and concepts in each Year group. The children read and understand new concepts each lesson and once they have acquired the knowledge necessary they explore these through experiments and investigations.
Children’s knowledge is assessed every lesson through a low-stake quiz and the subsequent lessons are adapted to suit the needs of the children. This Science learning is also supplemented by school trips and STEM week. STEM week provides the children with whole school science learning opportunities as well as having experiences of meeting and working with real and active scientists, further encouraging a joy of all things Scientific.
Reception - Understanding the World
| Autumn 1 | Autumn 2 |
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We will be exploring the question below through our afternoon lessons and free flow.
We will learn about the following topics: What we look like Where we belong Who looks after us What is inside our body How we can stay healthy We will finish off the term by hosting a Farah class exhibition, where we display our self-portraits to our families. |
We will be exploring the question below through our afternoon lessons and free flow.
We will learn about the following topics: Why we use lights at night and the difference between a light source and a reflective material. The story of Diwali and how it is celebrated throughout the world How shadows are made The phases of the moon Nocturnal animals The Nativity Story |
| Spring 1 | Spring 2 |
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We will be exploring the question below through our afternoon lessons and free flow. We will be creating different items and be learning: To hypothesize about how things work and why things happen To ask big questions and speculate To be able to talk articulately about things they have enjoyed and created To make plans, have a go and make changes to make things work |
We will be exploring the question below through our afternoon lessons and free flow. We will be learning about: Where we live and where we have been. Comparing the sizes and bodies of animals Habitats and locations of animals Creating stories using our bodies and words |
| Summer 1 | Summer 2 |
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We will be exploring the question below through our afternoon lessons and exploratory play. We will be learning to: Talk about things that happened in the past Talk about important processes and changes in the world around us Talk about changes of state (seasons, lifecycles, evaporation) Talk about how we can look after the environment |
Year 1
| Autumn 1 | Autumn 2 |
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We will be learning to materials and describe and categorise materials based on their properties. We will be working towards understanding that some properties are harder to see and require investigation. This will work towards our understanding of how the properties of materials mean they are used to make certain objects. |
We will be moving onto our first physics topic where we will be learning about Autumn and Winter. During this unit we will be observing the changes across the seasons and how that impacts humans, plants and animals. They will consolidate which months are in which season and identify how humans might dress differently according to the weather. To support our learning be sure to watch the weather forecast every day and discuss the changes in the length of daylight rainfall, wind speed and weather, pointing out any abnormalities along the way. |
| Spring 1 | Spring 2 |
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We will be learning to identify and name a variety of common animals and increase our vocabulary to categorise them in a variety of ways and recognising which animals are carnivores, herbivores, and omnivores. We will be identifying, naming, drawing and labelling the basic parts of the human body and say which part is associated with each sense. By the end of the unit, we will be able to recognise and name a variety of common animals including fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals. |
We will be learning to identify and name a variety of common animals and increase our vocabulary to categorise them in a variety of ways and recognising which animals are carnivores, herbivores, and omnivores. We will be identifying, naming, drawing and labelling the basic parts of the human body and say which part is associated with each sense. By the end of the unit, we will be able to recognise and name a variety of common animals including fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals. |
| Summer 1 | Summer 2 |
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We will be continuing our observations of the changes across the four seasons with a focus on Spring and Summer. In this unit we will be noting how the weather changes from winter to spring and what happens to plants and animals in spring and summer. Towards the end of the unit, we will discuss how the changing seasons can affect humans. |
Our biology unit builds on our Autumn, Winter, Spring and Summer unit by applying our knowledge of seasons to the life cycle of plants. We will be analysing common plants and be able to name the key parts of a plant and tree. This will lead to us answering the driving question: Why are plants so important? |
Year 2
| Autumn 1 | Autumn 2 |
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In this unit, pupils are introduced to the basic needs of animals for survival as well as the importance of exercise, hygiene and nutrition for humans. Pupils work scientifically by observing how different animals grow. |
The children will identify and compare the suitability of a variety of everyday materials. They will also find out how the shapes of solid objects, made from some materials, can be changed. |
| Spring 1 | Spring 2 |
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The children will consider what it means to be alive and how animals and plants live in their habitats. Pupils will also have the opportunity to observe worms in their habitat and explore how it meets their basic needs. |
The children will begin by learning about the habitats of the Arctic and the Sahara. We will then move on to thinking about food chains before examining how habitats can change depending on the season. |
| Summer 1 | Summer 2 |
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In this unit pupils will expand their knowledge of habitats through the lens of why they should be protected. Pupils will gain an understanding of why the environment is important and what they can do to make a difference through studying the ecological challenges of modern life and and engaging with environmental issues. |
In this unit pupils will learn about the needs of plants for germination, growth and survival as well as the processes of reproduction and growth in plants. Throughout the unit pupils will have opportunities to work practically with seeds, bulbs and plants. |
Year 3
| Autumn 1 | Autumn 2 |
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This term the children will be learning about: Skeletons, Muscles and Nutrition. They will learn the names of different bones and muscles as well as how to keep them healthy. The children will complete a variety of activities and experiments to help them understand this concept in their new Science workbooks. |
The children will be taught to compare, and group together different kinds of rocks based on their appearance and simple physical properties. Pupils will also learn to describe how fossils form and that soils are made from rocks and organic matter. Please check the knowledge organiser in your child’s discovery box for more information. |
| Spring 1 | Spring 2 |
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This unit is designed to expand pupils’ knowledge of light sources, the concept of night and day, the reflective properties of different materials, how shadows are formed and the role of the famous inventor, Thomas Edison |
This unit is designed to expand pupils’ knowledge of light sources, the concept of night and day, the reflective properties of different materials, how shadows are formed and the role of the famous inventor, Thomas Edison |
| Summer 1 | Summer 2 |
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In Year 3, pupils are taught to recognise that they need light to see things and that dark is the absence of light. They are also taught to notice that light is reflected from surfaces, to recognise that light from the sun can be dangerous and that there are ways we can protect our eyes from the sun. In addition, pupils are taught to recognise that shadows are formed when the light from a light source is blocked by an opaque object and to find patterns in the way that shadows change. |
This term in science, we will be learning all about Forces and Magnets. This will include learning about the following questions: What are forces? How do objects move on different surfaces? What is a magnet and how do magnets react to each other? Which materials are magnetic? Are some magnets stronger than others? |
Year 4
| Autumn 1 | Autumn 2 |
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Year 4 will be learning about teeth and the digestive system this half-term. We will explore different types of teeth and their purposes, both in humans and animals, relating this to the diets of carnivores, herbivores, and omnivores. We will also study the digestive system and explore the journey that food takes from eating to excreting! |
Year 4 will be exploring the classification of solid, liquid, or gas. Pupils will learn the properties of each group, explore how freezing changes liquids, discover the melting point of different solids, and investigate evaporation and condensation and how these link to the water cycle. |
| Spring 1 | Spring 2 |
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Year 4 will be exploring the classification of living organisms as well as identifying and analysing the environments in which these organisms live. This half-term, we will focus on habitats, food webs and chains within ecosystems, classifying animals with and without a backbone, and identifying characteristics of organisms that can help to classify them further. |
Year 4 will be exploring the classification of living organisms as well as identifying and analysing the environments in which these organisms live. This half-term, we will focus on habitats, food webs and chains within ecosystems, classifying animals with and without a backbone, and identifying characteristics of organisms that can help to classify them further. |
| Summer 1 | Summer 2 |
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Year 4 will be learning about sound as a form of energy that is produced when something vibrates. We will identify this practically by experimenting with our vocal cords as well as different musical instruments. After this, Year 4 will understand that sound travels in waves and can travel through solids, liquids, and gases. |
Year 5
| Autumn 1 | Autumn 2 |
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This term, Obama class will be studying Earth and Space. We will learn how to describe the movement of the Earth and other planets relative to the sun in the solar system. Students will have the opportunity to research different ideas about our solar system and key historical figures related to |
This term, pupils will learn about different types of forces. They will be taught to identify the effects of air resistance, water resistance and friction, and to recognise that some mechanisms, including levers, pulleys and gears, allow a smaller force to have a greater effect. |
| Spring 1 | Spring 2 |
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This term we will build on our understanding of materials and their properties, looking deeper at conductivity and magnetism. We will consider the difference between reversible and irreversible changes, and how irreversible changes create new materials. There will be lots of opportunities to investigate these changes. We will learn about acids and bases and how the pH scale can be used to distinguish between these. |
This term we will continue our topic from Spring 1, exploring materials and their properties. We will investigate different tequniques used to separate mixtures, we will consider the difference between reversible and irreversible changes, and we will learn about how chemical reactions can form new materials. Pupils will end the term researching scientists who have created new materials, and designing new and improved materials. |
| Summer 1 | Summer 2 |
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This term, pupils will explore the diffences in the life cycles of a mammal, an amphibian, an insect, and a bird. They will then dive into the life process of reproduction in different kinds of plants. To support our learning this term and see science in action, we will be taking a trip to Gunnersbury Triangle! |
This term we will develop our scientific vocabulary to explain how humans grow and change throughout the human lifecycle. This includes exploring the development of babies and children. This unit also includes an introduction to what puberty is and changes experienced in old age. Students will build on their current knowledge of the human body and its processes and functions. |
Year 6
| Autumn 1 | Autumn 2 |
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Light and perception How do we see? How does light reflect and move? Are shadows always the same shape as the object? What is light pollution? |
Classification How did Cole Linnaeus influence classification? How do we classify vertebrates / invertebrates? How can we classify plants? What are micro organisms? How important are habitats for conservation? |
| Spring 1 | Spring 2 |
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Evolution and Inheritance What important information do fossils give us? How have living things changed over time? Why do animals adapt? What are possible consequences of adaptations? Do living things choose to evolve? |
Evolution and Inheritance Why is it that living things produce offspring of the same kind? What is DNA, and what can it tell us? What is artificial selection? Why do living things become extinct? How is some life on Earth threatened with extinction? |
| Summer 1 | Summer 2 |
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Circulation and Lifestyle What is the role of blood? What is the role of the heart? How does the circulatory system work? How are nutrients distributed? How does exercise impact the human body? (Explored throughout our PE lessons) |