Science 

At Oldmixon, we follow the National Curriculum for science and believe that scientific investigation is one of the most powerful ways to learn, challenging children to express and modify their ideas, and fostering curiosity and perseverance. We have designed our curriculum to increase children’s science capital by choosing contexts that are relevant to them, their experiences and the learning opportunities we are able to access in our local area. Our intention is that children move on ready for secondary school science with a curiosity and wonder about the world. They ask questions and know that they have the potential for finding out answers to them.

Science and Engineering are rapidly growing and important industries in the modern world. Even if children do not become scientists or engineers, they will grow up in a world that requires scientific literacy and critical thinking skills in order to make informed decisions about the challenges of living on our planet.

Our curriculum has been carefully sequenced so that knowledge and skills are built upon progressively, enabling children to make links with prior knowledge when learning new concepts. A scientist observes, questions, creates hypotheses, experiments, records data, and then analyses that data. Throughout their school journey, the children make progress in these skills, empowering them to question the world around them and become scientific thinkers.

We aim to make our science lessons as practical as possible based on the children’s questions and interests. Teachers use regular retrieval activities to support children to revisit and secure prior learning so they have a secure base upon which to build new learning experiences. Key scientific vocabulary is planned for, taught and reinforced so that children are able to communicate their ideas clearly, both internally and to others.

Science lessons are not just limited to the classroom. We use the school grounds, visitors and field trips to maximise children’s learning experiences and make their learning memorable for them.

Exploring and enjoying science with your child at home

Learning about the world through science activities helps children to see that science is 'for' them and can lead on to science based further education and employment in the future.

These websites have some super investigations to try at home with your child. Not only will you be supporting their learning, you will have lots of fun too. Please let us know about anything that you do try at home.

The Kitchen Pantry Scientist

https://kitchenpantryscientist.com

Experimental, from the Royal Institute

https://www.rigb.org/families/experimental

Royal Society of Chemistry – kitchen chemistry

https://edu.rsc.org/resources/collections/kitchen-chemistry#!cmpid=CMP00000908

Science Parent Events

Science Trips and Activities

Microscopes

We have been lucky enough to borrow a set of microscopes from RMS. We have the microscopes for a term and every class will be using them to enhance the children's learning in science.

Year 4 explored the materials that came with the microscopes, looking at the objects through a magnifying glass and then appreciating the difference through the microscope. Locating the sting on the bee was a very popular task.

What's inside a light bulb?

The microscopes were very useful in helping the children in Year 4 to clearly see the filament inside a light bulb. This helped them to understand where the current goes when it gets to the bulb.

Techniquest

Year 4 visited Techniquest to enhance their science learning this term. It was great fun exploring the activities but it also gave the children the opportunity to reflect on their knowledge and make connections within new contexts.

Year 2 and Year 3 visited Bristol Zoo to support their learning about Animals

Bristol Zoo

Year 3 and Year 2 were very lucky to go to Bristol Zoo, we travelled by coach and Mrs Parker even taught the children a song on the coach. When we arrived we had a fantastic workshop all about the Rainforest. The children learnt lots of new facts all about the Rainforest and the different animals that live there. They even had the opportunity to hold a hissing cockroach, touch a stick insect and a rainbow snake. The children were extremely brave when holding and touching the animals. After our workshop we had a wonder around the zoo where we saw many new animals we may of not seen of known about before. The children were very excited to learn new facts. We stopped for lunch and then after we went to explore more of the zoo, where we learnt all about lemurs and even saw a lion up close. The children were amazed at how big the lions mouth was when he did a big yawn.

Have a look at the Year 3 class pages for lots of photographs of their trip.