A high-quality Science education provides the foundations for understanding the world through the specific disciplines of biology, chemistry and physics. Science has changed our lives and is vital to the world’s future prosperity, and all pupils should be taught essential aspects of the knowledge, methods, processes and uses of Science (National Curriculum).

Along with English and Maths, Science remains one of the core subjects in primary school and has the potential to be one of the most exciting and practical subjects, providing opportunities for children to find things out for themselves. At Verwood First School and Nursery, we believe that science is about discovering, exploring and investigating to encourage children to question the world around them.

At Verwood First School and Nursery, pupils learn cover the following science topics:

Year 1

• Plants (basic structure)
• Animals including humans (basic knowledge of parts of human body and comparing animals)
• Everyday materials (describing properties)
• Seasonal changes.

Year 2

• Plants (what plants need to grow)
• Animals including humans (needs for survival, food and hygiene)
• Use of everyday materials (explore and compare materials for uses)
• Living things and their habitats (explore variety of habitats, simple food chains).

Year 3

• Plants (life cycles)
• Animals including humans (nutrition, skeleton and muscles)
• Rocks (fossils and soils)
• Light (reflection and shadows)
• Forces and magnets (magnetic materials, attracting and repelling).

Year 4

• Animals including humans (digestive system, teeth and food chains)
• Living things and habitats (classification keys)
• States of matter (changes of state, evaporation and condensation)
• Sound (vibration, pitch and volume)
• Electricity (simple circuits, insulators and conductors).