Science

Science Gilt Quality Mark 2022- 2025

Beamish and Pelton Federation have been awarded Primary Science Quality Mark

Final PQSM Portfolio

Over 400 Primary Science Quality Marks have been awarded to infant, junior, primary, middle and special schools this month to celebrate their commitment to excellence in science teaching and learning.  So far, since its national launch in 2010, over 5000 schools across the UK have achieved a prestigious Primary Science Quality Mark.

Primary Science Quality Mark is a one-year school improvement programme for primary science, which provides professional development for new and experienced subject leaders each year. PSQM enables confident, knowledgeable, reflective leadership which results in an improvement in the way in which science is planned and taught across the whole school.

The Primary Science Quality Mark is led by the University of Hertfordshire in collaboration with the Primary Science Teaching Trust.

Associate Professor Jane Turner, PSQM National Director said: “There was never a more important time for primary children to have a high-quality science education. The coronavirus pandemic and climate change crisis have made everyone aware of the importance of science in our world.  Primary schools have an important role to ensure that children understand how science works and keeps us and our planet healthy and safe. Schools that have achieved a Primary Science Quality Mark have demonstrated a significant commitment to science teaching and learning. The profile and quality of science in each awarded school is very high. Children are engaging with great science both in and outside the classroom, developing positive attitudes towards science as well as secure scientific understanding and skills. Science subject leaders, their colleagues, head teachers, children, parents and governors should be very proud.”

Beamish and Pelton Federation of Schools PSQM Feedback

Science Learning

Through an enquiry-based approach, teachers pose scientific questions for children to explore, investigate and reflect upon. Science is taught progressively, in line with the National Curriculum and end of year expectations. Across the year, children also take part in STEM week to further enhance their scientific knowledge and enquiry skills through working with outside educational agencies.

We are very proud to have gained the Silver Award Primary Science Quality Mark  for another year and are dedicated to maintaining an effective, confident science leadership for whole school impact on standards in the teaching and learning of Science.

Please see below for our Science Overviews.

• Working Scientifically overview
• Science subject overview

For each unit within our Science curriculum, we have created Knowledge Organisers to highlight the key scientific concepts, facts and vocabulary our children will know and understand by the end of a unit. We build upon children’s vocabulary each year when revisiting areas within Science.

Please see below for our Knowledge Organisers for each unit within each year group.

EYFS Science

The Early Years Foundation Stage Curriculum supports children’s understanding of Science through the planning and teaching of ‘Understanding the World.’ Children find out about objects, materials and living things using all of their senses looking at similarities, differences, patterns and change. Both the environment and skilled practitioners foster curiosity and encourage explorative play, children are motivated to ask questions about why things happen and how things work. Our children are encouraged to use their natural environment around them to explore. Children enjoy spending time outdoors exploring mini-beasts and their habitats, observing the changing seasons, plants and animals. Children regularly participate in cookery and baking sessions which allows them to experience changes in state as ingredients are mixed, heated and cooled.

Year 1

• Animals Including Humans
• Seasonal Changes
• Plants
• Everyday Materials

Year 2

• Animals Including Humans
• Living Things And Their Habitats
• Plants
• Uses Of Everyday Materials

Year 3

• Animals Including Humans
• Forces And Magnets
• Light
• Plants
• Rocks

Year 4

• Animals Including Humans
• Electricity
• Living Things And Their Habitats
• Sound
• States Of Matter

Year 5

• Animals Including Humans
• Earth And Space
• Forces
• Living Things and their Habitats
• Properties And Changes Of Materials

Year 6

• Animals Including Humans
• Electricity And Circuits
• Evolution And Inheritance
• Light
• Living Things And Their Habitats

Our children love taking part in experiments and investigations, working scientifically to explore key questions and then draw conclusions. 

Stem Week

Each year in school, we take part in STEM week, which stands for Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths. During this week, children take part in a range of practical investigations and activities across often to explore answers to scientific enquiries whilst also learning about careers within these four areas. We often have visitors in school to deliver workshops and work with the children and some of our older children in Year 5 and 6 set up and supervise small experiments with other children. We work closely with our feeder secondary school, North Durham Academy who loan us more complex scientific equipment and resources.