at The Canons...

Science is a means of discovering and understanding the world around us. It consists of a body of knowledge which attempts to explain phenomena and experiences. It also involves a number of skills and processes by which this knowledge is achieved and applied. Science forms an integral part of our everyday life. It is therefore important for all children to be scientifically literate.

At The Canons, we aim to give every child the opportunity to live life in all its fullness, by providing rich learning experiences, educational visits, extra-curricular activities and enrichment opportunities. Each year we have a STEM Week which gives the children an opportunity to showcase their talents and encourages a week of scientific enquiry and investigations within the classrooms. We also run a science club each year. We value the role that outdoor learning can have in a child’s development and aim to incorporate these into our science curriculum, for example the EYFS using the outdoor classroom during their Animals topic.

Every year group has a cross curricular topic with a science focus, for example: ‘Spring and New Life’ in reception and ‘Protecting our World’ in year 4. Some science topics are taught as discrete units, for example ‘Evolution and Inheritance’ in year 6 and ‘Electricity’ in year 4. The planning, teaching and assessment of the science curriculum is informed by Rosenshine’s principles of instruction. An enquiry-based approach is used in science, which focuses on the acquisition of scientific knowledge and conceptual understanding (substantive knowledge) before ‘proving’ or inquiring through investigations.