Children are naturally curious and therefore, science at Chalford Hill is an enquiry-led subject. We encourage children to raise their own questions, based upon their observations, and then answer them by selecting and planning the best line of enquiry. This may be observing changes over time, conducting comparative and fair tests, pattern seeking enquiries (e.g. do larger seeds grow larger plants?), grouping and classifying items or research. The teaching of these scientific skills is always linked to a year group’s science subject content, and the levels and expectations of independence and ownership increase as children progress through the school.

As children experience and explore, we encourage them to use a variety of methods to: communicate their developing ideas; predict outcomes; present and explain results; and share and justify their findings, using an ever broadening range of scientific language.

We are keen to foster a real passion for science and the realisation that it is a useful and vitally important part of our lives and the wider world. To do this we introduce and discuss the work of scientists, make links to science-based careers and raise awareness of scientific global issues (e.g. climate change). We have links with Chalford Climate Action Network.