Science

Science

Science is exciting, inspiring and full of discovery!

At St. Gilbert's, we aim to develop children's natural curiosity about the world around them and inspire them to become confident, inquisitive and enthusiastic scientists. We believe that every child can succeed in Science and that all pupils should be encouraged to ask questions, investigate ideas and develop a deeper understanding of the world God has created.

Our Science curriculum follows the National Curriculum requirements and is carefully planned to ensure progression in scientific knowledge, skills and understanding across all year groups. Through engaging, practical and investigative experiences, pupils develop the ability to work scientifically by observing, questioning, predicting, testing, recording and analysing evidence.

At St. Gilbert's, we use the White Rose Science Scheme to support the teaching and learning of Science. The scheme provides a coherent and progressive structure that enables children to build their scientific knowledge in small, carefully sequenced steps. Through this approach, pupils revisit and deepen their understanding of key scientific concepts while developing the skills needed to think and work like scientists.

Working Scientifically

Throughout their time at St. Gilbert's, pupils develop the skills of Working Scientifically, enabling them to think, investigate and communicate like scientists. Children are given regular opportunities to:

• Ask questions;
• Make predictions;
• Plan and carry out fair tests;
• Classify and group information;
• Compare and identify patterns;
• Observe closely using appropriate equipment;
• Record and present data in a variety of ways;
• Evaluate evidence and draw conclusions.

These skills are embedded throughout our Science curriculum and help children develop independence, curiosity and confidence in scientific enquiry.

We strive to ensure that Science lessons are practical, engaging and relevant. Children are encouraged to explore scientific concepts through first-hand experiences and investigations, helping them to develop curiosity, resilience and independence in their learning. We make full use of our school grounds and local area as outdoor classrooms, enabling pupils to explore habitats, observe seasonal changes, identify local plants and animals, and investigate environmental issues in real-life contexts. These opportunities allow children to experience Science beyond the classroom, bringing learning to life and helping them develop a deeper understanding of the world around them. By exploring their immediate environment, pupils can make meaningful connections between scientific concepts and everyday life, fostering a lifelong appreciation of Science and its importance in understanding and improving our world.

Our curriculum promotes critical thinking and problem-solving skills while encouraging children to communicate their ideas confidently using scientific vocabulary. Through high-quality teaching and meaningful learning experiences, we aim to develop scientifically literate pupils who are prepared for the next stage of their education and for life in an increasingly scientific and technological world.

Science and Our Catholic Ethos

As a Catholic school, our teaching of Science is rooted in our Catholic ethos and Gospel Values. We encourage children to appreciate the wonder of God's creation and to develop a sense of responsibility for the world around them. Through our Science curriculum, pupils learn that scientific understanding can help us to care for others, respect our environment and contribute positively to our communities.

We actively promote the teachings of Pope Francis' Laudato Si', which calls us to care for our common home and to be responsible stewards of God's creation. Children are encouraged to explore environmental issues such as conservation, sustainability, biodiversity, recycling and climate change, helping them to understand the importance of protecting the Earth's resources for future generations. Through learning both inside and outside the classroom, pupils develop an appreciation of the natural world and recognise the role they can play in caring for the environment.

The Gospel Values of respect, stewardship, compassion and responsibility are woven throughout our Science curriculum. Through learning about living things, habitats, environmental change and the impact humans have on the natural world, pupils are encouraged to make thoughtful choices and recognise their role in caring for God's creation. Our outdoor learning experiences within the school grounds and local community further support this understanding by allowing children to witness first-hand the beauty, diversity and fragility of the environment around them.

By combining high-quality scientific learning with our Catholic values, we aim to nurture curious, knowledgeable and responsible young people who appreciate the beauty of the natural world and are inspired to protect and care for it, both now and in the future.

The theme for British Science Week 2025 is 'Change and Adapt' and the whole school have been learning about how our bodies grow and change over time. We measured the height of everyone in class and calculated the average height for each year group. We then created a scale model of the average height for a child from each year group.  We could really see how each child grows and by how much.  Our investigation raised questions that we could investigate further - like 'How much does a child grow each year?' and 'Does the amount we grow each year get more or less?' and 'What years do we grow the most?'.

We had a great time finding out how tall we all were!

Take a look at all the topics we have been studying this year! Up to now we have explored:

Human Bodies

Electricity 

Rocks, Soils and Fossils

Light and Shadow

Forces and Magnets

Year 5 - Earth and space. We learnt about the movement of the Earth and moon by transforming ourselves into these approximately spherical bodies!

Reception Science Week

We had fun completing a science experiment with cress seeds. We planted seeds in five different pots then put one outside but gave it light and water, one inside with light and water, one inside with just light, one in a dark cupboard with no light just water and one in a dark cupboard with no light and no water. We were amazed by what happened to the plants!

Year 1 Gallery

During Science Week we carried out an investigation to find out if bubbles are always round. The children used different shaped bubble wands to experiment with. They had lots of fun blowing bubbles and seeing who could blow the biggest bubble!

In Science Week we have been investigating the plants growing in our school grounds. We also did some really fun experiments. We added milk to a circle of sweets and left it for a while. When we came back, the colours had run from the sweets to make a beautiful pattern. Outside we added mints to some lemonade. It was supposed to make an explosion due to the carbon dioxide bubbles inside and the mints speeding up the process of the gas being released but it didn’t work very well so we had fun shaking the bottle. We managed to make a small explosion but next week we will try with Pepsi and Mentos!!

What a wonderful start to our new Science topic, 'Light and Shadow'. Year 3 have produced some fantastic work and we have exciting lessons planned. 

Year 4 Science Gallery: