At North Mead Primary Academy, we believe in the importance of science: nurturing curiosity and creativity. Through a combination of investigative skills and practical activities, children will develop an understanding of the world in which we live, the journey of science and its importance for the future. We believe that building children’s science capital is vital to help broaden both experiences and opportunities for our pupils.
Science is taught discretely following the national curriculum.
Key Principles of Science:
Teaching and learning in science is successful at North Mead Primary Academy when…
- Children experience inspiring science which engages and motivates them
- Children are catalysts in their own learning
- Lessons link to the children’s lives and experiences to build science capital
- All children can make new discoveries through practical investigations
- Children are able to use and apply scientific vocabulary and skills effectively
- There is a progression of skills across the school
- Cross-curricular links are made to deepen understanding
- Learning prompts as many questions as answers
- Blooms Taxonomy is used to stretch and challenge and to develop scientific reasoning
- Children have opportunities to work independently and collaboratively
- Our outdoor environment is used as an effective tool for learning
- A range of resources, such as IT, are used to enhance and support learning
Skills Progression Map
Understanding the world
Subject Policies/Plans
Autumn Overview
Year One
| Year 1
Autumn Term |
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| Week 1 | Week 2 | Week 3 | Week 4 | Week 5 | Week 6 | Week 7 | Week 8 | Week 9 | Week 10 | Week 11 | Week 12 |
| The Human Body
Enquiry Question: Do the oldest children have the biggest feet? – Draw and label parts of the human body – Sight – Sound – Taste – Touch – Smell |
Seasonal Change
-Changes in autumn – Collect and record data |
Materials – explore materials: wood, plastic, glass and metal- Explore materials: rock- objects and materials- melt and freeze- float or sink – does it absorb water? – investigate materials |
Consolidation | ||||||||
| The Human Body
Enquiry Question: Do the oldest children have the biggest feet? |
Enquiry type
|
|
| Week 1 | – Name and identify parts of the human body | Classifying and grouping |
| – Draw and label parts of the human body | Classifying and grouping
Observing over time |
|
| Week 2 | – Sight | Classifying and grouping
Pattern seeking |
| Week 3 | – Sound | Classifying and grouping
Observing over time |
| Week 4 | – Taste | Classifying and grouping |
| – Touch | Classifying and grouping | |
| Week 5 | – Smell | Classifying and grouping |
| Seasonal Change
Enquiry Question: |
Enquiry type
|
|
| Week 6 | – Changes in autumn
– Collect and record data |
Comparative/Fair testing
Observing over time |
| Materials
Enquiry Question: |
Enquiry type
|
|
| Week 7 | Explore materials: wood, plastic, glass and metal | Classifying and grouping |
| Week 8 | Explore materials: rock | Classifying and grouping |
| Objects and materials | ||
| Week 9 | Melt and freeze | Classifying and grouping
Observing over time Pattern seeking |
| Week 10 | Float or sink? | Classifying and grouping Pattern seeking |
| Does it absorb water? | Classifying and grouping Pattern seeking |
|
| Week 11 | Investigate materials | Problem solving |
Year Two
| Year 2
Autumn Term |
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| Week 1 | Week 2 | Week 3 | Week 4 | Week 5 | Week 6 | Week 7 | Week 8 | Week 9 | Week 10 | Week 11 | Week 12 |
| Animals’ needs for survival – Mammals- Birds- Fish- Amphibians- Reptiles – Humans |
Humans
– Exercise – Food – Hygiene – Teeth |
Chemistry – Explore materials- Wood, paper and cardboard- Brick and rock- Glass and plastic- Metal – Fabrics – Same object different material – Test materials: bend, squash, twist and stretch – plan: waterproof experiment – Investigate: waterproof experiment |
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| Animals’ needs for survival
Enquiry Question: What do animals need for survival? |
Enquiry type
|
|
| Week 1 | – Mammals | Classifying and grouping |
| Week 2 | – Birds
– Fish |
Classifying and grouping |
| Week 3 | – Amphibians
– Reptiles |
Classifying and grouping |
| Week 4 | – Humans | Classifying and grouping |
| Humans
Enquiry Question:
|
Enquiry type
|
|
| Week 5 | – Exercise
– Food |
Classifying and grouping
Research |
| Week 6 | – Hygiene
– Teeth |
Classifying and grouping
Research |
| Chemistry
Enquiry Question:
|
Enquiry type
|
|
| Week 7 | – Explore materials | Classifying and grouping |
| Week 8 | – Wood, paper and cardboard
– Brick and rock |
Classifying and grouping |
| Week 9 | – Glass and plastic
– Metal |
Classifying and grouping |
| Week 10 | – Fabrics
– Same object different material |
Classifying and grouping |
| Week 11 | – Test materials: bend, squash, twist and stretch
– plan: waterproof experiment – Investigate: waterproof experiment |
Comparative and fair testing |
| Week 12 | ||
Year Three
| Year 3 Autumn Term | |||||||||||
| Week 1 | Week 2 | Week 3 | Week 4 | Week 5 | Week 6 | Week 7 | Week 8 | Week 9 | Week 10 | Week 11 | Week 12 |
| Skeletons:
– Name and identify bones in the human body – functions of the skeleton – name and identify bones in a range of animals – animals with and without a spine – are all skeletons the same? |
Movement: – Joints- How we move |
Nutrition and diet:
– Food groups – understand the food groups – balanced diets – compare diets – animal diets |
Rocks:
– Identify rocks – group rocks – test rocks – local rock survey |
Consolidate | |||||||
| Skeletons + Movement
Enquiry Question: How can we sort and group animals based on their skeletons? |
Enquiry type
|
|
| Week 1 | – Name and identify bones in the human body
– Functions of the skeleton |
Classifying and grouping |
| Week 2 | – Name and identify bones in a range of animals
– Animals with and without a spine |
Classifying and grouping |
| Week 3 | – Are all skeletons the same? | Problem solving |
| Week 4 | – Joints
– How we move |
Classifying and grouping |
| Nutrition and Diet
Enquiry Question:
|
Enquiry type
|
|
| Week 5 | – Food groups
– understand the food groups |
Classifying and grouping |
| Week 6 | – Balanced diets | Classifying and grouping |
| Week 7 | – Compare diets
– Animal diets |
Classifying and grouping |
| Rocks
Enquiry Question:
|
Enquiry type
|
|
| Week 1 | – Identify rocks | Classifying and grouping |
| Week 2 | – Group rocks | Classifying and grouping |
| Week 3 | – Test rocks | Comparative/fair testing |
| Week 4 | – local rock survey | Research
Pattern seeking Observation over time |
Year Four
| Year 4 Autumn Term | |||||||||||
| Week 1 | Week 2 | Week 3 | Week 4 | Week 5 | Week 6 | Week 7 | Week 8 | Week 9 | Week 10 | Week 11 | Week 12 |
| Group and classify living things:
– Group animals – vertebrate and invertebrates – classification keys (animals) – group plants – classification keys (plants) |
Data collection A: | States of matter: – Explore solids, liquids and gases- Think differently: solids, liquids and gases- change states- use equipment- plan: measure temperature changes – investigate: measure temperature changes – The water cycle – plan: Evaporation experiment – investigate: evaporation experiment – evaluate: evaporation experiment |
Consolidate | ||||||||
| Group and classify living things
Enquiry Question: How can we group and classify living things? |
Enquiry type
|
|
| Week 1 | – Group animals | Classifying and grouping |
| Week 2 | – Vertebrate and invertebrates
– Classification keys (animals) |
Classifying and grouping
Problem solving |
| Week 3 | – Group plants
– Classification keys (plants) |
Classifying and grouping
Problem solving |
| Data collection A
Enquiry Question:
|
Enquiry type
|
|
| Week 4 | – Data collection A
– Analyse data |
Comparative/fair testing |
| States of Matter
Enquiry Question:
|
Enquiry type
|
|
| Week 5 | – Explore solids, liquids and gases | Classifying and grouping |
| Week 6 | – Think differently: solids, liquids and gases
– change states |
Classifying and grouping
Observation over time Pattern seeking |
| Week 7 | – use equipment | Classifying and grouping |
| Week 8 | – plan: measure temperature changes
– investigate: measure temperature changes |
Comparative/Fair testing
Observation over time |
| Week 9 | – The water cycle | Observation over time
Classifying and grouping |
| Week 10 | – plan: Evaporation experiment
– investigate: evaporation experiment – evaluate: evaporation experiment |
Comparative/Fair testing
Observation over time Pattern seeking |
| Week 11 | ||
Year Five
| Year 5 Autumn Term | |||||||||||
| Week 1 | Week 2 | Week 3 | Week 4 | Week 5 | Week 6 | Week 7 | Week 8 | Week 9 | Week 10 | Week 11 | Week 12 |
| Forces:
– Friction – Air resistance – Plan: parachute experiment – Investigate: Parachute experiment – Evaluate: parachute experiment – plan: water resistance – Explore gravity |
Space: – the solar system – the planets – modelling- motion of the Earth and planets – The solar system: ideas over time- planet Earth- Night and day- The Moon |
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| Forces
Enquiry Question: Does the surface area of a parachute affect how long it takes to fall to the ground? |
Enquiry type
|
|
| Week 1 | – Friction | Classifying and grouping |
| Week 2 | – Air resistance | Classifying and grouping |
| Week 3 | – Parachute experiment | Comparative/fair testing |
| Week 4 | – Water resistance | Comparative/fair testing |
| Week 5 | – Explore gravity | Classifying and grouping
Comparative/fair testing |
| Week 6 | – Use small forces for greater effects | Classifying and grouping |
| Space
Enquiry Question:
|
Enquiry type
|
|
| Week 7 | – The Solar System
– The planets |
Classifying and grouping |
| Week 8 | – Modelling
– Motion of the Earth and planets |
Classifying and grouping |
| Week 9 | – The solar system: ideas over time | Research |
| Week 10 | – Planet Earth | Observation over time
Research |
| Week 11 | – Night and day | Classifying and grouping
Observation over time |
| Week 12 | – The Moon | Classifying and grouping Observation over time |
Year Six
| Year 6
Autumn Term |
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| Week 1 | Week 2 | Week 3 | Week 4 | Week 5 | Week 6 | Week 7 | Week 8 | Week 9 | Week 10 | Week 11 | Week 12 |
| Living things and their habitats: – Conditions for life- Group organisms- Classify animals – Microorganisms – Classify Microorganisms- Carl Linnaeus |
Electricity:
– Construct and draw series circuits using symbols – Complete and incomplete circuits – variations within circuits – plan: voltage experiment – Investigate: voltage experiment – Evaluate: Voltage experiment |
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| Forces
Enquiry Question: Does the surface area of a parachute affect how long it takes to fall to the ground? |
Enquiry type
|
|
| Week 1 | – Conditions for life | Classifying and grouping |
| Week 2 | – Group organisms | Classifying and grouping |
| Week 3 | – Classify animals | Classifying and grouping |
| Week 4 | – Microorganisms | Classifying and grouping |
| Week 5 | – Classify microorganisms | Classifying and grouping |
| Week 6 | – Carl Linnaeus | Classifying and grouping
Research using secondary sources |
| Electricity:
Enquiry Question: |
Enquiry type
|
|
| Week 7 | – Construct and draw series circuits using symbols | Classifying and grouping |
| Week 8 | – Complete and incomplete circuits | Classifying and grouping |
| Week 9 | – variations within circuits | Problem solving |
| Week 10 | – plan: voltage experiment | Problem solving
Pattern seeking |
| Week 11 | – Investigate: voltage experiment | |
| Week 12 | – Evaluate: Voltage experiment | |
