Science
“It seems to me that the natural world is the greatest source of excitement; the greatest source of visual beauty; the greatest source of intellectual interest. It is the greatest source of so much in life that makes life worth living.”
David Attenborough
At Sutton Veny Primary School, we believe Science is one of the most inspiring subjects pupils can explore. As David Attenborough said, we aim to inspire our students to look at the world with curiosity, awe and wonder, encouraging them to ask questions, explore, and uncover the mysteries of the natural world. Through Science, our pupils learn to ask questions, make observations, and think critically, helping them develop skills that will benefit them for life.
Our commitment to Science education includes addressing important global issues like climate change. We are on a journey to become a carbon neutral school and want our pupils to recognise the impact that human activity has on the Earth and understand their role in protecting it. We have been extremely fortunate to have teamed up with the Beaver Trust and will be studying the local beaver colony which has settled on the Longleat estate. The children will develop an understanding of why it is imperative that these animals, who roamed the land 400 years ago until they were hunted to extinction, are restored. Beavers are ecosystem engineers, creating wetlands and unique habitats to increase biodiversity which in turn will help to reduce the effects of climate change. As a school, we participate in Just One Tree Day raising money to plant trees, we also participate in the Big Schools bird watch. These activities all contribute to the children becoming empowered to make informed choices and understand how they can contribute to a sustainable future and help to preserve the environment. By fostering a love for science, we aim to inspire each child to be a lifelong learner, a curious thinker and a responsible individual who sees science as a tool to make the world a better place.
We ignite students’ natural curiosity by immersing them in hands-on experiments encouraging them to work scientifically, make predictions, accurate observations and form their own conclusions while working as part of a scientific team.
By the time our pupils leave primary school, they will have progressed through a rich curriculum of biology, chemistry and physics. In Reception, the children explore dinosaurs, space, growing and humans. Building on this, they explore plants, everyday materials, seasonal changes, animals and habitats during KS1. At Lower Key Stage 2 (Years 3 and 4) the following topics are covered: plants, rocks, light, animals, including humans, forces and magnets, living things and their habitats, states of matter, electricity and sound. At Upper Key Stage 2 (Years 5 and 6) the children will dig deeper into the following topics: living things and their habitats, earth and space, forces, animals, including humans, properties and changes of materials, light, electricity, evolution and inheritance.
We are confident that our pupils finish primary school well prepared to continue their scientific journey in secondary school.