Bishop Aldhelm's CE

Primary School

Loved by God; United in Learning

Science

“The science of today is the technology of tomorrow.” – Edward Teller 

 Science

Our school values in science are developed by:

We show love by fostering a joy of discovery.

We show courage by being brave, challenging thinking, asking questions and investigating new ideas. We show courage knowing that we won’t always find the answer.

We show unity by working collaboratively to discover more.

We show inspiration by not giving up and thinking creatively to seek answers. 

Our curriculum

Our science curriculum is designed to foster a love of discovery in our children, with them being able to challenge what they already know, have a deep respect for the natural world and know that they can make a difference to the future. Knowledge and skills are progressed over time to prepare children not only for their next stage of education but also to equip them with the foundations to be the scientists of the future. Science topics are planned with practical hands-on experiences that encourage curiosity and questioning. We want children to secure their scientific knowledge and vocabulary through stimulating and challenging experiences that promote a love of learning.  

Our curriculum is based on key concepts that thread through our science curriculum from pre-school to Year 6. This helps build on prior learning and support pupils making strong links in their knowledge. Throughout each of the topics, children develop and progress their knowledge of how to work scientifically. The concept map on the right shows how our curriculum has been designed.

Importance to Bishop Aldhelm’s children and local links:

At Bishop Aldhelm’s we are fortunate to live next to a range of habitats including heathland, beaches, forests and cliffs. We are one of the only schools in the country that has a SSSI (site special scientific interest) on our grounds. This means that children can experience a range of habitats and locations first-hand through our science teaching. In Poole, we have a number of factories including Sunseeker, Lush and Ryvita. Explicit links are made in relevant topics to these industries as well as visits/visitors where possible to show how their learning is relevant in real life.

We want children to leave Bishop Aldhelm’s being able to:

  • feel confident that they can challenge ideas
  • pose questions and come up with ways that they can be answered
  • be scientifically literate- being able to use the language of science and apply it to contexts around them
  • take their knowledge and values to inform and influence others.
  • use their previously learnt knowledge to continue to deepen their understanding of scientific concepts
  • believe that they are scientists!