Science at Downderry Primary School 

At Downderry primary school, we aim for all children to leave Downderry with a love of Science and to have the knowledge, skills and understanding to be secondary school ready. We want our pupils to think about the world around them, develop their curiosity and to ask questions! 

At Downderry we follow the National Curriculum and from Early Years to Year 6, children are equipped to develop their own scientific inquiry through predicting, investigating and drawing conclusions. We teach our Science lessons sequentially. There are thirty-two units provided: four for Years 1 and 2 and five for Years 3 to 6 with a Keeping Healthy unit for each year group. Each unit is taught over half a term. Pupils should be able to describe associated processes and key characteristics in common language, but should also be familiar with, and use, technical terminology accurately and precisely. 

Early years

Within our Early years setting, Science is covered in the 'Understanding the World' area of the EYFS Curriculum. It is introduced indirectly through activities that encourage every child to explore, problem solve, observe, predict, think, make decisions and talk  about the world around them.

Key Stage 1 & 2

In Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2, Science is taught as a ‘whole class’, using differentiated activities each week and pupils will undertake a Science investigation each half a term. Children’s work will be recorded onto the on-line  digital platform Showbie as uploaded photographs, video or voice notes. 

STEM Week

At Downderry, we feel it is incredibly important for children to understand that what they are learning can be applied to real life and can shape their future. One of the ways in which we do this is by running a STEM week once a year. Linked with British Science week, our children will work on a project using a variety of skills and knowledge that they have gained in Science, Computing, DT and Maths. Childrens’ work is then celebrated and shared across the school. 

A Wild Adventure at Downderry!

This week, Downderry School had the exciting opportunity to welcome Safari Pete, a renowned wildlife adventurer and conservationist, along with his incredible animal companions! The children were thrilled to meet a variety of fascinating creatures, including Lady Gaga the Tarantula, Drake the Snake, and Tallulah the Meerkat.

Safari Pete captivated the children with fascinating facts about each animal, sharing insights into their diets, behaviors, and how they adapt to survive in the wild. The visit sparked a deeper understanding of the natural world and the importance of conservation.

The children were not only able to learn about these incredible animals but also had the chance to see them up close and ask questions. It was an unforgettable experience that encouraged curiosity and a sense of responsibility towards wildlife conservation. A big thank you to Safari Pete and his amazing animals for bringing such excitement and knowledge to our school!

Science Selfie Competition! 

Can you use your super scientist skills outside of school? We are relaunching our ‘Science Selfie Competition’ across Downderry Primary School.

What do I need to do?

Science is everywhere! Look for Science in the world around you. This could be you taking part in cooking or gardening activities, setting up and completing a science experiment or exploring nature – the list is endless!

Then take a selfie of yourself taking part in the activity!

Please email your Science Selfie to scienceselfie@downderryprimaryschool.com

Please ensure your child’s name and class are the subject of the email. (Alternatively, a picture could be printed out and brought into school, with the information as above. Please let us know if you do not want the picture to be used on our website or on our school displays.)

Some fun science experiments can be found here:

Science Sparks www.science-sparks.com

Fab Science www.fabscience.co.uk/EXPERIMENTS/

Pupils will have the opportunity to share their science selfies on our school website and entries will be displayed around the school.

Entries need to be in by Friday 25th April 2024.

There will be a prize for the most inspiring science selfie from Early Years, KS1 and KS2.

We look forward to seeing your Science selfies!