At Lydgate Junior School we aim to nurture the natural curiosity of children and allow them to both ask questions and develop the skills they need to answer them. Scientists have been significant in forming our past. Going forward, there is an increasing need for scientists, engineers and innovators; we want to help our children see themselves in these roles. We make science interesting, engaging and inspiring, whilst investing in the development of our pupils’ Science Capital (find out more about this here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A0t70bwPD6Y ).  We want Lydgate’s children to have a positive experience of science, giving it a clear meaning and purpose in today’s world.  

Our curriculum aims to ignite the imagination of our children; it is adapted and extended to meet their needs. Where possible, we use cross-curricular links, as well as embedding our RRS ethos throughout our curriculum. Discrete weekly teaching of science (through the specific disciplines of biology, chemistry and physics) is sequential. This allows children to build their knowledge and skills over time, deepening learning through reinforcement so that they know more, can remember more and are able to do more. Our annual ‘Science Week’ is an exciting opportunity to celebrate science with our school community.

We also ensure that the children understand and use the five different types of scientific enquiry:

• Observing over time
• Comparative and fair testing
• Identifying, classifying and grouping
• Pattern seeking
• Researching and using secondary sources

This allows the children to discover answers to their questions for themselves - thus becoming true scientists. At Lydgate Junior School, science is for everyone and we want science to be a verb, not a noun.

Curriculum Progression for Science

Our Governor Subject Lead for Science is: Siddharth Patwardhan