Why do we teach science?
“Somewhere, something incredible is waiting to be known.” - Carl Sagan
At Westcliff, we want to foster our children’s natural curiosity about the world around us and how it works. Primary science develops pupils’ understanding of the world, nurture their curiosity and teach essential skills, including enquiry, observation, prediction, analysis, reasoning and explanation. In a world increasingly shaped by science, we want to foster a love for learning, inspiring the next generation of innovators or scientists, equipping young learners with the knowledge, skills and attitudes to tackle new challenges.
How do we teach science at Westcliff?
Science at Westcliff is centred round the children learning the essential aspects of the knowledge, processes and uses of science. Our children are encouraged to develop a sense of excitement and curiosity about natural phenomena. They seek to problem solve, create and are always keen to explain their thinking using subject specific vocabulary as we aim to develop scientific knowledge and conceptual understanding through the specific disciplines of biology, chemistry and physics.
At the core of our children’s learning in the early years is exploration and investigation and this begins right at the start of the Westcliff school journey. Our children’s curiosity is nurtured and they are encouraged to ask questions, discover new things and share their findings with others. Fostering this curiosity builds a base of understanding that we develop upon in later years.
Children from Year 1 upwards have a science lesson once a week. Our science curriculum from year 1 onwards is developed from the national curriculum and will consolidate previous learning as well as build on their scientific knowledge by covering new areas of learning.
We also focus on raising aspirations and encourage pupils to have a wide range of experiences of the world including the world of work. For each new topic, the children will be introduced to a professional who is outstanding in their field of work. This shows children the vast range of possibilities open to them in a career and introduces a range of attributes, skills and behaviours that will leave them in the best possible position as they begin their transitions to secondary education and to future life.
Science Curriculum