Science

Our Vision

Here at Southborough, we recognise the value of the STEM subjects and have placed them at the heart of our school curriculum, with science as the overarching lens through which we approach all of these. We aim to provide an engaging and enjoyable introduction to the world of science, through giving the children regular opportunities to take part in practical activities. We aim to identify and build on each child’s ‘science capital’ and help them recognise the value in careers in this field. We firmly believe in a ‘hands-on’ approach and strive to ensure that lessons are child-centred and led as much as possible. We intend to build a curriculum that nurtures the children’s problem solving and questioning skills and caters to their inquisitive natures and appetites for knowledge.

STEM Ambassadors

Here are our STEM Ambassadors for Term 1:

To be Confirmed

A big thank you to last term's ambassadors who helped us to launch the role and shape it into what it is today. Your help was invaluable and all of your teachers are very grateful.

Science Week 2023

March saw one of the highlights of our year so far: Science Week! The children were very excited and enthusiastic and worked incredibly hard throughout the week on designing and making Rube Goldberg machines. These are systems with many complicated processes that aim to accomplish a simple task at the end. As energy conservation is such an all-consuming topic at the moment, the children designed their machine to accomplish a task such as switching  a light off or turning off a tap. The range of systems and processes that we saw across the week was staggering, from pulleys and levers, to bridges, tunnels and towers. The children used all of their scientific knowledge about forces and energy to tackle this complex problem and had to understand how energy could be transferred and maintained in order for the machines to achieve their end functions.

Southborough Working Scientifically Wheel

As part of learning about science, it is important that children learn how to work scientifically. This means to understand the processes involved in science; being able to question like a scientist; know how to design and set up experiments; collect and present data; analyse and interpret this data and draw conclusions from it.

The Working Scientifically Wheel below gives a visual representation of these steps and helps the children to see at what stage of the cycle they are at in a lesson. Each lesson, the lesson will focus on one section of the wheel (perhaps in conjunction with a preceding or succeeding section) as to focus on them all in one lesson would not give children a deep enough understanding of that particular discipline.

This Term in Science

Reception

Year 1

In the Everyday Materials your child will learn to identify a range of everyday materials and their sources. Children investigate the properties of materials and begin to recognise that a material's properties defines it’s use. 

Year 2

In the Human Survival about the basic needs of humans for survival, including the importance of exercise, nutrition and good hygiene. They learn how human offspring grow and change over time into adulthood. 

Year 3

In the Skeletal and Muscular Systems topic your child will learn about the importance of nutrition for humans and other animals. They learn about the role of a skeleton and muscles and identify animals with different types of skeleton.

Year 4

In the Digestive System topic your child will learn about the main digestive system parts, starting with the mouth and teeth, identifying teeth types and their functions. They link this learning to animals' diets and construct food chains to show the flow of energy.

Year 5

In the Forces and Mechanisms topic your child will learn about the forces of gravity, air resistance, water resistance and friction, with children exploring their effects. They learn about mechanisms, their uses and how they allow a smaller effort to have a greater effect.

Year 6

In the Circulatory System topic your child will learn about the transport role of the human circulatory system, its main parts and their primary functions. They learn about healthy lifestyle choices and the effects of harmful substances on the body.