Header Image

Science

Science at Firthmoor Primary School

At Firthmoor Primary School, Science is taught in discrete weekly lessons from Year 1 to Year 6, following objectives from the National Curriculum framework.  Scientific enquiry is embedded in the curriculum and working scientifically skills are taught in context as often as possible.  Scientific enquiry is question-led and includes observing over time; pattern seeking; identifying, classifying and grouping; comparative and fair testing; and researching using secondary sources.  Children are encouraged to share their ideas through a range of formats, including written explanations, drawings, scientific diagrams, tables and charts.

To embed scientific knowledge, key learning is revisited frequently and each Science lesson begins with five key fact questions to promote pupils’ recall of previous learning.  Numerous opportunities are given to embed vocabulary in Science lessons through the identification of key vocabulary associated with each topic, as well as vocabulary covering the working scientifically skills.  Children have access to a number of scientific magazines and non-fictions texts to further their scientific knowledge.

Science in Early Years

The EYFS framework sets out the content that should be covered in the early years, with much Science learning linking to the specific area ‘Understanding the World’.  Scientific enquiry in the early years is driven by children’s own questions and curiosity, as well as adult-led provocations.  Children are supported to notice similarities and differences, environmental features, make observations of living things, explain why some things occur and talk about changes.

Useful websites for learning at home

Science Investigation

Summer 2024

Last week, Y5LJ were lucky to be joined by the Science curriculum team.  The children from Year 1-6 worked with the Year 5s to complete an investigation: ‘How can I fix the hole in my bucket?’  The children had lots of fun working cooperatively to test different ways of fixing the hole.

Science – Pupil Voice

Summer 2024

Pupils were asked to give their views on our Science curriculum this year. Please click HERE to watch a short summary of their responses.

Irreversible Changes

Spring 2024

In Science Miss True’s class have been investigating irreversible changes. We mixed white vinegar and bicarbonate of soda and found out that carbon dioxide is made.  The class got very excited when we investigated how adding more vinegar affected the amount of gas produced!

Experiments with different types of material

Spring 2024

Miss Jamieson’s class have been working hard in Science to find the best material for a pair of goalkeeper’s gloves.  They investigated the effects of friction and used Newton meters to measure the amount of force needed to move a weight across different materials.

Microhabitats Investigation

Spring 2024

Tuesday was perfect weather for investigating the microhabitats around our school. Our Year 2 scientists spotted lots of minibeasts and different plants. We can’t wait to see what we discover next time!

Plant Experiment

Spring 2024

In Mrs Coad’s class we have been learning all about plants in science this half term. Today we learned about what a plant needs to grow and we planted our own seeds. We planted a sunflower seed and a bean and we can’t wait to see them start to grow.

Visit to St Aidan’s – Science Taster

Spring 2023

Some of the children had a visit to St Aidan’s Academy where they took part in a variety of Science related experiments

Visit to Beamish

Spring 2023

 

Incredible eggs to fluffy chicks

Spring 2023

As an exciting part of their Science, Reception children took delivery of some eggs and an incubator recently. The eggs have hatched into beautiful fluffy chicks.  The chicks took 21 days to hatch and we received them on day 17.  We were all very excited to watch the chicks break through the egg shells and peck their way out.

Once hatched, the chicks had to stay in the incubator until their feathers dried out, and they were then transferred into a large pen to forage around in the sawdust.  In the pen, there was an artificial ‘mother hen’ for the chicks to go under to keep warm, some seed for them to eat and water.

Many of the pupils and staff have enjoyed visiting the chicks.  They will now be collected from us and returned to the farm, where they will be able to roam ‘free’ and lay more incredible eggs for future generations to enjoy the hatching process.

Privacy Policy

We regard your privacy as important and any personal information you give to us will be used in accordance with the Data Protection Act and the General Data Protection Regulations.

We do not store personal information about individuals who visit this site except where they provide contact information via our contact us page and contact forms available on various pages throughout the website.

Any information you provide will only be used for the reasons specified and it will not be shared with any third party without your consent, unless required by law.

Your contact details are kept securely and are only accessed by authorised members of staff as part of the provision of school services. If you do not wish us to keep this contact information please tell us.

This website uses Google Analytics which provides statistical data about the usage of the site. This information is not used to identify individuals, but is collected to provide us with an understanding of the areas of interest on our site and how our site is being used.

If you are connected to the internet you will have an IP Address. This may take the form of a figure, such as 333.333.22.1. The address will be automatically collected and logged as part of the connection of your computer to our web server and may be used to determine the total number of visits to each part of the site. This data is not collected and used for other purposes.

This website contains links to other websites. The School is not responsible for the privacy practices of other sites or organisations and recommends you consult the privacy information on those sites.

This policy will be reviewed and updated versions will be posted on the website.

If you have any questions about the use of your personal information, the Information Commissioner is the independent regulator for both Data Protection and Freedom of Information.