The main principles of science teaching at Braiswick Primary are those of physical impact, universe and living things.
Physical Impact
An understanding of physical impact is covered in a range of scientific units. From the start of their journey through Braiswick Primary, pupils observe the seasonal changes in both the weather and the landscape, learn what light and dark are and how shadows are formed, and the effect heat has on different materials, linking to environmental changes.
As pupils progress, they build on their learning to understand the effects these physical phenomena have on humans and our way of life. From recognising how humans have harnessed physical elements in units on sound, electricity and forces, to understanding the cause and effect of extreme weathers, pupils are encouraged to observe, seek patterns and make predictions, building on, and making connections with, prior knowledge.
Universe
Pupils at Braiswick begin to learn about the Universe through looking at seasonal changes, day and night and the movement of the sun. By the time they reach KS2, they are ready to make connections to our place in the universe through studying the solar system (the rotation and revolution of the earth and moon) and space exploration and the technologies that enabled it.
Living Things
By the end of their time at Braiswick, pupils will have had the opportunity to study living things from many different perspectives. Starting by developing an understanding of ourselves and what makes us different, children observe the requirements and life cycles of plants, the functions of each part and exceptions to the rules. Microhabitats and human impact on animal habitats are both observed practically and researched through secondary sources. An understanding of the human bodies functions and systems is developed with links to PE (circulatory systems) and PSHE (healthy eating and digestive systems), and are compared to similar functions in other species (teeth and diet). To complete their education on living things, they study evolution, learning about both natural selection and selective breeding, animal classifications and genetics.
