Science
Science CurriculumAt Hillbrook we believe science is essential to children’s understanding of the ever-changing world around us. Scientific knowledge unlocks a wide range of varied careers, which are vital in tackling the world’s future challenges. We explore science in a variety of ways starting in Nursery all the way up to Year 6 through a number of different methods. Science in Nursery and Reception is covered through the Understanding the World area of The EYFS Curriculum.
Early Years Science links closely with all other areas of the curriculum including Communication and Language, Maths and Expressive Arts and Design. During their learning journey in Nursery and Reception, children will explore topics where they are encouraged to use their senses to investigate and to ask questions about why things happen and how things work. The Characteristics of Effective Learning underpin the way young children learn. Their learning environment allows them to play and explore, showing curiosity about objects events and people, enabling our young learners to become 'scientists'.
As children move up into KS1 and KS2, science becomes more about pattern-seeking, observations, grouping and classifying, researching, fair tests and experiments. No two science lessons will look the same. By using the children’s natural curiosity in each science lesson we have developed an engaging curriculum with plenty of practical, hands-on opportunities. Science lessons are full of exploring real-life objects, plants and materials that perhaps they wouldn’t have thought would be part of a science lesson. These experiments give them the knowledge to question daily objects around them and put their knowledge to good use. As a result, children leave Hillbrook with a wealth of scientific knowledge and are equipped to solve a multitude of problems independently.
My name is Naomi Becker, one of the Science leads at Hillbrook. My lifelong fascination with how seamlessly science is interwoven into our everyday lives began with regular visits to the Natural History and Science Museums in London as a child. This early curiosity grew into a developing awareness of human impact on the environment, leading me to complete a BSc in Environmental Science. As a teacher in the Early Years, I am passionate about nurturing children's natural curiosity, laying the foundations for scientific thinking through hands on exploration, questioning and investigation. In my role as one of the Science Leads, I aim to inspire a love of science across the whole school by promoting enquiry-based learning and encourging children to become active, inquisitive learners who are excited to make sense of the world around them.
My name is Anthony Howell, one of the Science leads at Hillbrook. Growing up on the North Yorkshire Moors instilled a passion for nature from an early age. I went on to pursue a Behavioural Science degree at St. Andrew's University before undertaking a MSc in Environmental Management. Prior to starting my teaching career, i worked with the National Trust on species conservation. I love living in London and regularly take advantage of some of the scientific opportunities our great city has to offer. As a family, we often spend our weekends visiting the Royal Observatory at Greenwich, Kew Gardens, the Natural History and Science Museums as well as the Royal Institution. In the classroom, I endeavour to spark children's interest in Science, to foster their excitement to ask questions and to develop a scientific approach to test their ideas.
