Science

Science at St Andrew's

We want to make Science at St Andrew’s as engaging and hands-on as possible, where appropriate. We want to encourage the next generation of scientists, investigators, engineers, and well-rounded individuals, by:

Modelling and encouraging use of appropriate and accurate scientific vocabulary in relation to area of study
Allowing plentiful child-led investigations where the pupils investigate answers to both their own and given questions
Inspiring and exciting by teaching, visits and/or visitors demonstrating scientific experiments
Learning about key areas of chemistry, biology and physics depending on their learning stage
Making predictions using prior knowledge and analyse results of investigations
Exposing children to relevant real-life examples of scientific theories where possible to deepen understanding

Science Curriculum Overview

Updated: 16/01/2024 190 KB

Updated: 06/03/2023 273 KB

Updated: 06/03/2023 234 KB

What are we learning in Science at St Andrew's?

EYFS

Cooking: Why does that happen? We explored how the materials change when we combine ingredients and when they are heated and then cooled. Some of us had very warm hands and the dough became very sticky.

Year 1

In year 1, the children have been following the seasons and investigating the weather in both our local area and how it differs around the world. They chose a tree in the school grounds and noticed how it changed from October to December - they couldn't believe how different it looked! The children were also lucky enough to taste fruit originating from Peru as part of the 'senses' unit; they described how it felt, smelled, tasted, even how it sounded as some was crunchy.

Year 2

The children in Year 2 have learnt all about plants. We carried out an experiment to see which plant grew the quickest and how they grew differently. We spoke about although a tree is big, it grows very very slowly. We learnt that a bean grew the tallest and quickest out of all we had planted.

In Term 2 children explored the different habitats of animals and plants. They were able to explain the difference between living and non-living using the acronym of MRS GREN.

Year 3

Year 3 have been carrying out permeability tests using a ‘scientific model.’ The children poured 100ml of water through different fabrics and watched to see how long it took for the water to get through. They controlled variables, so the only thing that changed was the type of fabric.

Year 3 have been learning all about the different types of forces, in particular magnetism. They have been investigating magnetic & non-magnetic materials, attracting & repelling, and have even been creating their own magnetic games!

Year 4

Year 4 have been learning all about sound! We have been investigating how string telephones work and what makes them the most efficient at making sound travel over a distance.

Year 4 have been learning all about electricity. We have been constructing electrical circuits, exploring which materials are conductors or insulators, and investigating which switches would be best for making our own light-up Christmas cards in DT.

Year 5

In class we have been deepening our knowledge and understanding of the Earth, Sun and Moon. The children investigated the planets in our solar system as well as studying heliocentric planetary models and how the moon orbits the earth.

Year 6

Year 6 have explored evolution and the changes that occur over many thousands of years. We have been able to explain this in terms of adaptation by creating our own animals and describing how they have adapted to the environment they are found in. We carefully selected features like prehensile tails and stated why we chose to give these attributes and characteristics to our unique animals.

2023-2024 Science news

Science Club

Year 3 & 4 had lots of fun at Science Club! The children were so enthusiastic and engaged every single week, actively bringing their own investigation ideas to sessions. We looked at a variety of pupil-led investigations ranging from ‘What material makes the best lava lamp?’ to ‘What sized balloon makes the highest CD hovercraft?’ One week, the children heated different metals to produce different colour flames, making their own mini-firework show on the Bunsen Burner! The children took part in a variety of STEM activities from making wind powered cars and crafty rafts to tie dye milk and acid & alkaline rainbows.

Science Workshops

St Andrew's enjoyed two exciting science days! The first, "Time for Science" by AS Creatives, explored timelines and famous scientists through drama. The second, led by Professor Bubbleworks, engaged students with fun, hands-on experiments. From EYFS to Year 6, students were captivated and gained inspiration for British Science Week and our upcoming pupil-led investigations competition.

2022-2023 Science news

Pupil-Led Investigations Poster Competition

For St Andrew’s Science Week, children across the school worked in teams to complete pupil-led investigations. The children’s own ideas were at the heart of their chosen experiment – it was up to them to choose what they wanted to find out! The children then completed experiment posters to showcase their investigations.

The winners of our in-school experiment poster competition are as follows, showing off their fabulous posters and prizes:

KS1 Winners: Clara Clarkson & Ethan Smith

LKS2 Winners: Sophia Bokko, Oliver Justice, Lucy Anderson, Ivy Gentry, Zoe Why & Leo Bailey

UKS2 Winners: Morris Johnson, Leo Puckett & Daniel Simpson

Science Club

Year 3 & 4 had lots of fun at Science Club! The children were so enthusiastic and engaged every single week, actively bringing their own investigation ideas to sessions. We looked at a variety of pupil-led investigations ranging from ‘What material makes the best lava lamp?’ to ‘What sized balloon makes the highest CD hovercraft?’ One week, the children heated different metals to produce different colour flames, making their own mini-firework show on the Bunsen Burner! The children took part in a variety of STEM activities from making super spinners & crafty rafts to planting tomato plants & growing salt crystals.

Science Week

Science Week commenced on Monday 13 March with our whole-school science day and you could feel the excitement in the air. Pupils from all year groups got to experience a range of activities.

All sessions kicked off with a flames test demonstration on the Bunsen burner. The children got to experience how different metals produce different colours when heated. They enjoyed guessing which metal was being burned based on the coloured flame it was producing.

Year 1 & 2 were bridge designers discovering how to make the strongest bridge out of spaghetti & marshmallows for the Three Billy Goats Gruff to cross safely.

Year 3 & 4 were forensic detectives investigating which teacher ate the chocolate cake using a range of powders to take fingerprints.

Year 5 & 6 had a competition to see who could make the slowest marble run.

Year 6 were also treated to an extra special visit from Oxford Brookes University on Thursday 16th March. They investigated connections between different animals and evolution over time. They were lucky to be able to examine a huge range of species. They looked like real scientists with their lab coats and microscopes!

This year’s British Science Week’s theme is connections. Though out the ten-day celebration of Science, all year groups have been planning experiments and investigation posters.