Science at Thames

At Thames Primary Academy, our Science curriculum aims to equip children with the foundations for understanding the world around them. Entwined throughout the Science curriculum are our school drivers – Possibilities, Community, Communication and Healthy Advocates.  The children will encounter people who have made significant contributions to the field of science over time, understanding that science has been a quest for understanding for many years, and will continue to be so in the future. The children will build a body of key foundational science knowledge as they work through the curriculum, asking questions, communicating their findings and developing a sense of curiosity about the world around us. Woven through the Science curriculum we will explore the possibilities for their futures, introducing them to the notion that their job might not have been invented yet!

Following the primary Science curriculum our children have an introduction to fascinating content such as the inner workings of the human body including how to keep ourselves healthy, animals and the environments they live in, plants and their features, forces in nature, what lies beyond the visible and what lies beyond the planet we live on. Over time their knowledge will deepen, moving from recognising and naming parts of the human body to understanding how our muscles work, how our blood moves around our body and how our nervous system helps us to interact with the world.

Pupils are encouraged to use the knowledge they learn in Science and apply it to investigations that test a theory or set out to answer a question. Gathering information, recording data, graphing data and interpreting findings are all essential skills that pupils will apply to new contexts as they work through the curriculum. Enquiries include observing over time, pattern seeking, identifying, classifying and grouping, comparative and fair testing and researching using secondary sources. Scientific enquiries provide children with a wealth of opportunities, but first and foremost they will help to deepen understanding of the nature, processes and methods of science as a discipline and how it differs from other subjects they are studying. The children will gain an understanding of the purpose and uses of science both today and in the future.

Throughout the science curriculum, children are taught that scientific discoveries have been made since time began around the world. The children learn about the work of scientists such as Lewis Howard Latimer, who invented the carbon filament that allowed Edison’s lightbulb to light up the world. They learn that the people who have contributed to science, from Ancient Baghdad to Ancient Rome and beyond, are diverse and many voices make up the story of science.

Our Science curriculum builds knowledge incrementally. The children have multiple opportunities to secure and build on their knowledge and understanding as subject content is revisited at points throughout the curriculum. This helps our children to master the knowledge and concepts whilst building up an extended specialist vocabulary. This incremental approach helps teachers to identify knowledge gaps and look back at previous content if they need to close gaps in knowledge or understanding. Our curriculum enables children to understand the important role that science plays in the sustainability of life on earth. We want children following this curriculum to be equipped to go forth into their secondary education with curiosity, passion and a desire for discovery.