Science
At Merrow CE Infant School, the teaching and learning of science follows the requirements of the 2021 Early Years Foundation Stage framework in Reception and the 2014 National Curriculum in Years 1 and 2.
At Merrow, children will be working as scientists to explore the world around them in an engaging and practical way. Within this approach we aim to build on their natural curiosity and foster a love for science. Children will develop the skills to talk about concepts using scientific language, use equipment and resources to gather and record data, and communicate their findings. Children will be able to answer their own questions by using different types of enquiry; observing changes over time, noticing patterns, grouping and classifying things, carrying out simple comparative tests and finding out information using secondary sources. Throughout the programmes of study, the children will develop key knowledge within each unit and across each year group; as well as the application of scientific skills.
Their journey as scientists begins in a richly resourced and child-led environment in Early Years. Through continuous provision, child-initiated learning and specific teaching, children are introduced to early scientific concepts taught through the ‘Understanding the world’ strand in the Early Years Foundation Stage framework. As children move through the school, they build on this successful start and develop confidence, skills and knowledge. Where possible, science is taught with cross-curricular links to help children make connections and experience a wide view of how their world works and the part they can play in it. With an emphasis on developing vocabulary to reduce the word gap in schools, we teach specific scientific terms and model using them in a variety of contexts.
