At St Peter's, we aim to inspire and equip our children to ‘learn to live’ in the wondrous world of science, helping to develop an appreciation of the role that science plays in our everyday lives.  We strive to plan and provide opportunities for children to explore the wonder of the natural world, developing their skills of critical reflection, creative thinking and collaborative working.  Through practical based enquiry, we seek to capture children's interest and enable them develop skills of working scientifically 'in all its fullness'.

Through regular opportunities for children to actively engage in scientific enquiry and practical investigation, we strive to promote and develop scientific thinking, supporting every child to be curious about the way things work and the wider world around us. We encourage children to ask questions and be inquisitive, supporting them to think logically as they make predictions, carry out experiments and evaluate their findings. Above all, we aim for science to be meaningful and memorable, enabling children to identify and develop links between their science learning, the wider curriculum and in their everyday lives.

Practical investigation is at the heart of our science curriculum and wider learning opportunities, including our lunchtime science experiments, led by our Science Ambassadors.  Through these rich experiences, we strive to develop transferable, life long skills, enabling children to work in collaboration to:

• make logical predictions based on their previous learning
• plan to solve a problem, considering how to control different factors
• lead an enquiry with an open mind 
• develop skills of resilience and problem solving if something doesn’t work
• interpret and evaluate the accuracy of their results
• consider and present the impact of their findings

As stated in the national curriculum for science, we aim to ensure that all children:

• develop scientific knowledge and conceptual understanding through the specific disciplines of biology, chemistry and physics
• develop understanding of the nature, processes and methods of science through different types of science enquiries that help them to answer scientific questions about the world around them
• are equipped with the scientific knowledge required to understand the uses and implications of science, today and for the future

We strive to embed our values in all areas of school life, promoting them as a guide for flourishing in life and learning.

As Scientists, we:

Take RESPONSIBILITY for the earth by exploring the wonders of the natural world

Show RESPECT when asking questions and discovering new things

COLLABORATE by explaining and communicating to others when working scientifically

Model TRUTH when investigating, observing and measuring

CELEBRATE the work of other scientists, showing excitement and curiosity about natural phenomena

Use our scientific knowledge to SERVE the world around us, today and in the future

Our science learning journeys work on a principle of building blocks - each one building on the one before.  Through a series of key questions, children use and develop their scientific knowledge and understanding, supported by practical enquiry.

As part of their practical enquiry, our children use three key questions to plan and lead their science investigations.  Underpinned by skills of pattern seeking, research, observation over time, problem solving and fair testing, they consider:

• What will be changed?
• What will remain the same?
• What will be measured?

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