Science at Bedford Drive Primary School
‘To develop a complete mind: Study the science of art; Study the art of science. Learn how to see. Realise that everything connects to everything else.’
Leonardo Da Vinci
The school follows the National Curriculum for Science as defined by the Department for Education. The National Curriculum for Science aims to ensure that all pupils:
develop scientific knowledge and conceptual understanding through the specific disciplines of biology, chemistry and physics
develop understanding of the nature, processes and methods of science through different types of science enquiries that help them to answer scientific questions about the world around them
are equipped with the scientific knowledge required to understand the uses and implications of science, today and for the future.
We would like to share our work and learning from Summer Term 2023
Foundation 1
Foundation 2
This term Reception have been learning about how animals and plants are living things. We have also been learning all about natural and manufactured habitats and homes. We investigated and made bug hotels and made one for our outdoor area. We also watched our caterpillars change over the weeks from caterpillars to cocoons to butterflies in our investigation area. We enjoyed linking our knowledge on butterflies to our artwork by creating and designing 3D butterflies.
Year 1
In Year 1 this term, we have been exploring seasonal changes. This has involved observing the weather, considering similarities and differences as well as what is typical weather for each season. We have thought about what clothes are appropriate to wear in each type of weather and what activities we like to enjoy in each season. We have extended our learning by being real scientists and conducting our own experiments! We have measured rainfall, recorded wind strength and kept a weekly weather diary. The children really enjoyed planting their own seeds in our outdoor garden and we have recorded their growth each week, tracking their journey from seed through to plants bearing vegetables and flowers!
Year 2
Year 2 have been learning about super scientist such as Sir Isaac Newton and Alexander Fleming. They have also extended their learning by working scientifically and conducting their own investigations. Such as testing suitable materials for making a boat and how exercise can affect our heartrate. We also created our own electrical circuits, as we investigated how we could make the light bulbs light up. We have had great fun!
Year 3
During Summer term children have looked at Light and Shadow. Revisiting their knowledge of opaque, translucent and transparent children investigated how a shadow is created and the best materials for making a shadow. Children also investigated how light travels, understanding that it travels in straight lines.
During Summer 2 children have been investigating Forces and Magnets. Children investigated different forces including friction, magnetism and gravity. Children have been able to understand that a force is a push and pull, and that some forces do not need contact in order to act. We then went on to do an investigation into what materials would be attracted to a magnet.
Year 4
This term, we have continued learning about sound. We investigated how we hear and how sound is produced. We researched how sound can be insulated or conducted through different materials. We also learnt how we can change the pitch and volume of sound through manipulating the vibrations. Afterwards, we learnt about the states of matter. We discussed how atomic properties determine what state an object is in and how we can change them by processes of heating and cooling.
Year 5
Year 5 have been learning about Forces in action and Changes and Reproduction. We have carried out investigations using pulleys and levers as well as looking at how gears work. As part of our changes and reproduction unit we have studied the life cycle of a human. We have also looked at how babies grow and change. We then looked what happens to us during puberty and how our bodies change. As part of this we have also discussed how we can keep ourselves healthy. Finally, we have learnt about what happens to us as we get older and how our bodies change again.
Year 6
Year 6 have been learning about light and electricity during the summer term. Our work on light began be revisiting how shadows are formed and how we can manipulate shadows. We then looked at the structure of our eyes and how we see objects including investigations into reflection and refraction. In the second half of the summer term, our topic was electricity in which we recapped static electricity, learnt about simple and series circuits and how we accurately draw symbols and circuit diagrams. We then used all of this knowledge to carry out an investigation into how changing the wire or number of cells in a circuit affects the brightness of a bulb or volume of a buzzer.
We would like to share our work and learning from Spring Term 2023
Foundation 1
In Science, Foundation 1 have been exploring seeds and learning how to grow our own tomato plants. The children have enjoyed reading ‘Jasper’s Beanstalk’ by Nick Butterworth to understand how to look after plants and help them grow.
The children have enjoyed observing nature in the outdoor area and learning the importance of caring for living things. They were lucky enough to find a frog and set it free near our school pond. This led to lots of open discussions and critical thinking surrounding our next focus; life cycles
Foundation 2
This term Foundation 2 have been learning all about healthy living. We have been learning about how eating the right foods, taking exercise and looking after our teeth is important to live a healthy life.
Year 1
In Science this term, the children have learnt about two topics-The Human Body and Plants. The children named body parts and learnt about their functions. They then went on to name the five senses and then looked at each one in detail. This ended with a delicious fruit tasting session where the children enjoyed a variety of tasty fruits.
Following on from this, the learning moved onto Plants where the children used the Ipads to take photographs of plants in our local area. They then learnt that some plants were wild and some were garden plants, plus learning all about trees. They planted seeds and learnt how to observe a seed growing and the conditions for growth, whilst also naming the most important parts of a plant.
Year 2
During this half term we have been focusing on ‘humans and other animals’ and ‘growing plants’. In our plants unit, we have been looking at how plants germinate and grow into seedlings. We investigated the best conditions to grow a plant and found out that they need water and light to grow and stay healthy.
As part of our ‘Humans and other animals’ unit we thought about the different things that humans can do to stay healthy such as getting a good sleep, making healthy food choices and getting regular exercise.
Year 3
In Spring 1, Year 3 learnt about rocks, fossils and soils. They learnt about different types of rocks and identified rocks that occur naturally and those that are man-made. Pupils worked in groups to sort rocks into categories based on characteristics and carried out an investigation to see which rocks were permeable. Pupils learnt that there are different types of soils and that soils have layers.
As part of our Spring 2 learning, children have started to learn about ‘light and shadow’. Children have identified what is a light source and have learnt about the difference between day and night. This learning will continue into the summer term.
Year 4
This term, year 4 have been investigating electricity. We have learned that electricity is a form of energy and that it powers most of the world around us! We investigated simple circuits and hypothesised why some circuit diagrams would work and some would not. We then learned about insulators and conductors, before experimenting on materials we could find in the class room. We had to predict whether or not a material would conduct electricity or not before we tested this. Then, we created a wire game using our knowledge of circuits, bulbs, buzzers, conductors and switches and ended by competing with each other to see who could complete the wire maze the quickest and with the fewest beeps or flashes.
We then learned about sound and how sound travels to our ears via vibrations. We investigated materials that insulate sound and why these materials are useful in our everyday lives, before moving on to the relationship between volume and distance from a sound source. We then looked at string instruments to investigate how we can alter the pitch of a sound by manipulating the thickness, length and tightness of strings.
Year 5
In Spring 1 Year 5 have been learning all about Space. We have discussed how the Earth rotates on its axis. We have also looked at how the moon rotates around the earth. As part of our work we have learnt about the different phases of the moon as well as researching information about the planets in our solar system.
In Spring 2 we have begun to learning all about Forces in action. So far, we have carried out three investigation looking at gravity friction and air resistance. We have made spinners and have investigated whether the weight of the spinner affects the time it takes to fall to the ground. We will continue our investigations in the summer term.
Year 6
In Spring 1 and 2, Year 6 have been learning about Evolution and Inheritance. Our focus began by recognising that living things produce offspring and how it is normal for offspring to vary. Our focus then transitioned into identifying how animals and plants are adapted to suit their environments and how this may lead to evolution. We then researched two key figures of evolution and inheritance, Charles Darwin and Carl Linnaeus, and learnt about the impact they have had on the theory of evolution. Finally, we learnt about how living things (including humans) have evolved over time and how human behaviour can affect change in species over time.
We would like to share our work and learning from Autumn Term 2022
Foundation 1
In Science, Foundation 1 have been learning about Seasons. The children have explored Autumnal objects and animals and have been on Autumn walks to see what we could discover in the local environment.
Foundation 2
This term Foundation 2 have been learning all about planet Earth. We have been completing our own book all about it. We have also accessed provision that supports our learning in the role-play, small world and construction areas.
Year 1
In Year 1, we have explored all different types of materials. We have conducted scientific experiments to divide materials into categories, as well as evaluate waterproofness. We have also developed our knowledge of animals, learning about mammals, fish, amphibians, carnivores and omnivores. We visited the school fish to help us learn about animal life cycles.
Year 2
In Year 2 we have been learning about the topics ‘Materials’ and ‘Living in Habitats’. We have learnt about different Materials and their properties. We have learnt to identify things that are living, things are dead and things that have never been alive. We have learnt about different habitats including seaside, pond and forest. We have also explored micro-habitats and food chains.
Year 3
Children enjoyed our Autumn 1 topic looking at How Do Things Grow? Children carried out an investigation into how a plant will take on water, even planting their own plants in order to study what a plant would require to grow.
During our Autumn 2 topic of Health and Movement, children have been researching how our bodies require different food groups and what a balanced diet can consist of. We carried out our own research into what animals eat by looking at the diets of our pets.
As an experience children took part in a rock workshop. Children worked scientifically to investigate rocks and their propertied; looking at the strength and reaction to certain chemicals. Children also got to investigate fossils, becoming a fossil hunter themselves.
Year 4
In our Autumn 1 topic, we have learned about living in environments. Children had to identify habitats, and explain how certain animals are better suited to their environments. They then began to classify organisms based upon their physical traits and characteristics using tables, Venn diagrams and classification keys. They concluded this unit by looking at the impact humans can have on environments that are both negative and positive.
During Autumn 2, children began by investigating food chains and used technical, scientific vocabulary such as herbivore, carnivore and omnivore. This led to children learning about the types of teeth humans have and how they can be kept healthy. We then concluded this unit by learning about the digestive system and some of the main organs involved in digesting food.
Year 5
In our Autumn 1 topic, we have learned all about life cycles. Children have been able to identify the parts of a flower responsible for reproduction. They have learnt about how some plants reproduce sexually and some asexually. We have classified and compared life expectancy and gestation periods of different animals as well as researching about the work of well-known naturalists.
During Autumn 2 we have explored mixtures and solutions and whether these are soluble or insoluble. We have also investigated reversible and irreversible changes. Finally we have investigated the properties of different materials by sorting them and then using our enquiry skill to explore these.
Year 6
Here is a selection of our work over the school year 2021/22:
Summer Term
Foundation 2
This term Foundation 2 have been learning about how animals and plants are living things. We have also been learning all about natural and man-made habitats and homes.
Year 1
Year 1 have been learning about ‘Identifying Animals’ this term. They have learnt about how to identify mammals, reptiles, fish, birds and amphibians. Children have also learnt about herbivores, carnivores and omnivorous and sorted animals into those groups. This unit was enriched with a trip to Chester Zoo! Whilst there, children found out about how animals adapt to survive in their environment.
More recently, Year 1 have been learning about the human body. They have found and labelled parts of the body and we talked about what some body parts do. Children also enjoyed learning about our 5 senses.
Year 2
Year 2 have been learning about super scientist such as Sir Isaac Newton and Alexander Fleming. They have looked at the growth of germs as bacteria over time and the importance of washing our hands to prevent the spread of germs. Making a weather vane to investigate wind, allowed us to use our geographical compass points knowledge in a real life situation. We created a rainbow effect, as we investigated what happens when light passes through a transparent object. We have had great fun!
Year 3
This term in Science we have revisited the topics we have taught this year. We looked again at the bones of our skeleton and how muscles create movement. Year 3 have discussed different types of rocks as we have looked into mountain creation including tectonic plates and volcanoes. Children have also looked at animal eating habits while looking at our conservation project into Ivan the Gorilla.
Year 4
This term in Science Year 4 have learnt about Living in Environments where we studied different habitats and why animals live there. Then we began to learn about Eating and Digestion, learning about teeth and how we can keep them healthy. We have learnt about how to keep our bodies healthy and how we digest our food.
Year 5
This term in Science Year 5 have been looking at lifecycles. We have looked at both sexual and asexual reproduction in plants. We have also looked at the life cycles of animals in our local environment with other animals around the world. Finally we used the internet to find out about the work of naturalists.
Year 6
This term, year 6 studied light and electricity.
In our light unit, we discovered how light travels in straight lines and this information meant that we can manipulate objects to increase or decrease the size of their shadows. We also studied how the eye works, and how it converts light into images inside our brains. Following this, we learned about reflection and refraction and the real world uses of this phenomena in situations such as war and medicine. Finally, we investigated how Isaac Newton used prisms to split white light into several different colours using prisms.
In our electricity unit, we refamiliarised ourselves with circuit symbols and discussed wesather or not certain circuits would work and how to fix them. We used balloons to demonstrate the power of static electricity and show the movement of electrons. We then investigated how we could increase or decrease the brightness of a bulb using extra wires or cells. We finally used our knowledge of circuits to create a working burglar alarm with a motion activated trip wire.
Spring Term
Year 1 – Year 1 have been learning about plants this half term. We have been learning about the parts of a plant and what each part does. We have also begun investigations into how plants are grown. This term, we also learned about habitats and the animals that inhabit them.
Year 2 – Year 2 have been learning about plants this term and discovering what they need to grow. We investigated what happens if plants are not given all of the right conditions and how to make them grow. We also learned about materials and the best material for a certain job. We had a fantastic time investigating what materials we should use to build a house for Bobby!
Year 3 – Year 3 have been learning about light this term. We have been exploring how light travels in straight lines, and have also been conducting experiments on which materials are the most or least opaque, using light boxes and data loggers to measure lumens. We have also looked at asexual reproduction in plants and the structure of the reproductive organs. Finally, we have been investigating how plants grow and how the optimum conditions can produce the best growth, while subpar conditions can lead to a seed not growing.
Year 4 – This term, year 4 have been learning about sound and how we hear. We have learned about sound waves, and how to change the pitch, tone and volume of a sound. We have also done lots of work on electricity, including how to make simple circuits and progressing to more complex ones. We have learned how to draw circuit diagrams and also investigated the impact of cells and bulbs on circuits to make a torch.
Year 5 - This term, year 5 have been looking at the topic of space. We have been learning about the historical depictions of the solar system and how our understanding has changed over the years with more modern scientific discoveries. We have also looked at the planets, and what each one would be like to live on. We have also looked at the topic of forces, and did many experiments to investigate how forces can be seen in the world around us.
Year 6 – This term, year 6 have been looking at evolution and adaptation. We focused on the work of Charles Darwin and his studies of Galapagos finches to teach us about how animals adapt to their surroundings. We also then looked at how fossils can give us evidence of evolution and how they can teach us about the changes of humans over time. Finally, we have looked at how characteristics are passed on to offspring via genes and how this leads to genetic variation over time
Autumn Term
Foundation 1 – In Nursery, children have been learning about weather and the seasonal changes. They have also been looking at the world around them, at the habitats of insects and how to classify different things based upon their materials.
Year 1 - Materials.
This term Year 1 have been studying materials and seasonal changes. They have been investigating which material would work best for keeping an egg safe when dropping from a height. They have also been learning about what happens to materials when they are heated and cooled.
Year 2 - Habitats
This term, as part of their habitat topic, year 2 have looked at food chains and classified things as alive, dead or never alive.
Year 3 – Rocks
This term Year 3 have been learning about rocks. They learned about the different properties of rocks and conducted experiments to see if rocks floated, scratched or chipped. They have also been learning about forces and magnets
Year 4 – States of Matter
The topic for this half term for Year 4 was states of matter. Children learned about the water cycle, and how water evaporates and condenses constantly. Children also learned about the differences in particle structure of solids, liquids and gasses.
Year 5 – Animals including humans
Year 5 had a fantastic time learning about the life cycles of animals and humans. They documented the growth of frogs, from tadpoles onwards, and explored how human bodies change as they age. They also learned about the properties of materials and experimented how to separate them
Year 6 – Living things and habitats
In Year 6, children have been learning about classification of living things. They classified animals into vertebrates and invertebrates, and then sub-classified vertebrates into the five main types. Children wrote an extended scientific piece of work about the different groups of vertebrates.
At Bedford Drive Primary School, we have constructed an ambitious Science curriculum, which follows the content of the EYFS statutory framework and the National Curriculum.