"It is important to view knowledge as a sort of a semantic tree - make sure you understand the fundamental principles, i.e. the trunk and big branches, before you get into the leaves/details or there is nothing for them to hang on to."

Elon Musk

Science

At Bowness, we provide a high quality science education that provides the foundations for an understanding of the world through the specific disciplines of biology, chemistry and physics. Learning science is concerned with increasing pupils’ knowledge of our world, and with developing skills associated with science as a process of enquiry.

Through teaching, we build up a body of key foundational knowledge and concepts. Our pupils are encouraged to recognise the power of rational explanation and develop a sense of excitement and curiosity about natural phenomena. They are encouraged to understand how science can develop an enquiring mind and analytical thinking skills through an enquiry based science curriculum. We recognise how science impacts our lives and is vital to the world’s future prosperity. 

As one of the core subjects taught at primary level, we give the teaching and learning of science the prominence it deserves.

At Bowness Primary School, in conjunction with the aims of the National Curriculum, our Science key concepts and ideas are:

1. Children will be curious and have insight into working scientifically and appreciate the value of science in their everyday lives. 
2. Children will develop practical skills by working scientifically; carrying out simple comparative tests, and finding things out using secondary sources of information becoming enquiry based learners. 
3. Children will draw simple conclusions and use scientific language to articulate scientific concepts clearly and precisely. 
4. Children will have a greater knowledge of the potential career opportunities available to them, and gain an understanding that jobs and careers are not bound by social mobility or gender stereotypes. 
5. Children will gain a broad understanding of the history of inspirational scientists. They will have a sense of the contributions made to their lives by scientists from the past and also famous scientists of today. 

Characteristics of a Scientist 

• The ability to think independently and raise questions about working scientifically and the knowledge and skills that it brings. 
• Confidence and competence in the full range of practical skills, taking the initiative in, for example, planning and carrying out scientific investigations. 
• Excellent scientific knowledge and understanding which is demonstrated in written and verbal explanations, solving challenging problems and reporting scientific findings.
• High levels of originality, imagination or innovation in the application of skills.
• The ability to undertake practical work in a variety of contexts.
• A passion for science and its application in past, present and future technologies.

Aspirations for the Future

Pupils develop an understanding of how subjects and specific skills are linked to future jobs. Here are some of the jobs you could aspire to do in the future as a Scientist:

• Aquatic vet
• Astronaut
• Animal researcher
• Marine biologist
• Helicopter mission control
• Weather presenter