The Perse School Cambridge

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Aim

“The scientist is not a person who gives the right answers; he’s one who asks the right questions.”  Claude Lévi-Strauss, Le Cru et le cuit, 1964

Science is central to our understanding of the world and our aim in teaching science at The Prep is to reflect the importance of the subject in our everyday lives. We help the children to understand the world around them, whilst kindling and encouraging in them a real appreciation for science in all its diverse and fascinating forms.

Approach

Our pupils receive four science lessons each week which are divided into two lessons focussing on physical science (chemistry and physics) and two focussing on the natural science (biology). Scientists do not sit down and think of ideas to test; ideas come from observations, experiences, needs and the interaction with colleagues and this is at the core of our teaching.

Throughout their four years with us our pupils are involved in:

• experiments and practical observational work
• class discussion
• group and individual work
• teacher demonstrations
• studying written evidence and audio visual material
• visits to places of scientific interest
• lectures and demonstrations by guest lecturers

This range of approaches allows us to ensure that our pupils develop the qualities we most want to encourage, in particular the desire to independently find the answers to their own questions.

What will my child study?

Physical Science

Year 3

Materials and their properties; sounds; light and shadows

Year 4

The science of the water cycle; changing state; reversible and irreversible reactions; Earth, sun and moon (possible project topic)

Year 5

Investigating substances and materials; forces

Year 6

Earth, sun and moon; light, shadows and how we see things; forces in action; grouping and classifying materials; changing and separating materials; electricity and magnetism

Natural Science

Year 3

Habitats (trees and insects); birds; teeth and eating; habitats (life cycles and food chains)

Year 4

Keeping healthy; micro-organisms; medicines and drugs; rainforests (possible project topic)

Year 5

How plants work; how our bodies work; ecology

Year 6

How our bodies work; interdependence and adaptation; microscopic animals and plants