Millions saw the apple fall, but Newton asked why.” – Bernard Baruch
Science education in primary school plays a vital role in nurturing curiosity, critical thinking, and an understanding of the world. At Irby Primary School, children are naturally inquisitive and eager to explore their surroundings. Science provides them with opportunities to ask questions, investigate, and make sense of everyday phenomena, laying the foundation for lifelong learning.
Through practical, hands-on experiences, science helps pupils develop important skills such as observing, predicting, measuring, and evaluating evidence. These skills not only support their scientific understanding but also strengthen problem-solving and reasoning abilities that are transferable across the curriculum. By encouraging exploration and investigation, science fosters creativity, resilience, and a growth mindset.
Primary science also builds essential knowledge of key concepts in biology, chemistry, physics, and earth sciences. This knowledge empowers children to make informed decisions about their health, environment, and future. For example, learning about the human body encourages healthy lifestyles, while studying habitats and ecosystems develops respect for nature and awareness of sustainability.
In addition, science education prepares pupils for an increasingly technological world. It inspires an appreciation of how science influences society and innovation, and it can spark interest in future STEM careers. Importantly, science in primary school promotes collaboration and communication, as pupils work together to share ideas and explain their thinking.
Overall, a strong foundation in science ensures that children leave primary school equipped with curiosity, knowledge, and skills to engage thoughtfully with the world and contribute positively to society.
Millions saw the apple fall, but Newton asked why.” – Bernard Baruch
Developing pupils’ understanding of key scientific concepts is a central focus of our science lessons. The progression of skills for working scientifically are developed through the year groups and scientific enquiry skills are of key importance within lessons. Linked knowledge working walls enable children to learn and retain the important, useful and powerful vocabulary and knowledge contained within each unit. At Irby Primary School, teachers create a positive attitude to science learning within their classrooms and reinforce an expectation that all children are capable of achieving high standards in science. Our whole school approach to the teaching and learning of science involves the following;
- Science will be taught in planned, and arranged, topic blocks by the class teacher. Our strategy is to enable all children to be catered for through adapted planning suited to their abilities – teachers use the PLAN knowledge matrices as a basis for their planning
- Working Scientifically skills are embedded into lessons to ensure these skills are being developed throughout the children’s school career, and new vocabulary and challenging concepts are introduced through direct teaching. This is developed through the years, in keeping with the topics.
- We plan for problem solving and real life opportunities that enable children to find out for themselves. Children are encouraged to ask their own questions and be given opportunities to use their scientific skills and research to discover the answers. This curiosity is celebrated within the classroom. Planning involves teachers creating practical, engaging lessons with opportunities for precise questioning in class to test conceptual knowledge and skills, and assess children regularly to identify those children with gaps in learning.
- Our curriculum is progressive. We build upon the learning and skill development of the previous years, which is tested through our ‘pre-learning quizzes’ where teachers can identify misconceptions that need addressing.
- Teachers demonstrate how to use scientific equipment, and the various Working Scientifically skills in order to embed scientific understanding. Teachers find opportunities to develop children’s understanding of their surroundings by accessing outdoor learning and workshops with experts.
- Through enrichment days, such as ‘science week’, we promote the profile of Science and allow time for the children to freely explore scientific topics.
Lessons are planned to be practical, engaging, and enquiry-based, allowing pupils to develop curiosity and independence. Teachers use the five types of scientific enquiry – observation over time, pattern seeking, identifying and classifying, fair testing, and research using secondary sources – to provide a broad range of experiences. These approaches help children build secure understanding and apply their learning in different contexts.
Scientific vocabulary is explicitly taught and revisited to strengthen language development and enable pupils to communicate their ideas clearly. Links are made across the curriculum, particularly with mathematics for data handling and measurement, and with English to encourage explanation, reasoning, and report writing.
Knowledge is taught cumulatively, with prior learning revisited to ensure retention and deepen understanding. Assessment is used formatively to identify misconceptions and inform future teaching, while summative assessments track progress against national expectations.
We also enrich science learning through outdoor education, visits, workshops, and links to real-world applications. This contextualises knowledge, fosters environmental responsibility, and raises awareness of careers in STEM.
Through this structured and engaging implementation, pupils develop secure scientific knowledge, curiosity, and the skills to question and investigate the world around them.