Science At The Prep Department

Trinity School

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Welcome to Prep Science

Prep Department Science encourages children to investigate in order to understand their world and introduces the techniques and approaches necessary to allow them to make their own curiosity work for them.

Aims & Curriculum

Throughout Key Stages 1 and 2, emphasis is placed on discovery, with Numeracy and Literacy, ICT and the humanities intimately woven into an evolving version of the work-schemes of the National Curriculum. Visits are routinely made to key science venues including farms, hands-on exhibition centres and local events. Visitors are encouraged, ranging from astronomers, authors and nutritionists to bee-keepers!

Evidence, drawn from their experiments, is assessed, then compared with what they had expected, challenging each child and enhancing their cognitive progress. Purposeful discussion links pupils’ interests and experience with new concepts and ideas that they will have formed by themselves. Noticeable patterns are identified, whilst conflicts of opinion and thought are further discussed; outcomes from these experiments and discussions aid their learning and cognitive independence.

As they progress through KS1 and 2, increasing emphasis is placed on their observation and presentation skills (especially page layout for each investigation) as well as accurate recording of data onto charts. Their interpretation of charts, their computing and drawing skills all develop naturally, as does their team-working capability.

Pupils’ sense of wonder is also channelled through stories and other creative ways including drama. The moral aspects of their learning are tackled in many areas, not least being recent work on food production and the environment.

Projects reflect the content of the National Curriculum and build, in a systematic way towards the KS SATs theory tests. Much learning is achieved through practical work; standard investigations are still carried out of course but an example of our contexts for investigation shows how topical and challenging science lessons can be weather forecasters and space explorers (Reception), discovering a world of unusual smells (Year 1), supporting up to a whole kilogramme on a single sheet of home-made paper (Year 3), investigating where Scott went wrong in the Antarctic (Year 4), planning a trip to Mars (Year 5) and getting to grips with the likes and dislikes of yeast and brine shrimp (Year 6).

Extra Curricular

The Preparatory Department has its own Mad Science club, run on Tuesdays, after school. Pupils get the chance to develop their ideas on an individual or team basis. A creative approach has recently led to a prototype helicopter and an in-depth science assembly on pollution.

Last year saw the introduction of “!Sciencemania!” where a range of activities included a trip to the science museum, the visit of a scientific author, a mobile planetarium – with cross-curricular links to history and geography – and even a quiz panel for parents to challenge their children!

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