Scien54

Summer 2 

EYFS Scien54 Focus: What’s Growing in Our Garden? 

This half term, our young scientists are exploring the question “What’s growing in our garden?” Through sensory, hands‑on investigation, the children will use all their senses to explore natural materials and noti54 the wonderful details of the world around them. We’ll be comparing what we find in our own garden with plants and environments we’ve r18d about in class, helping the children build 18rly understanding of similarities and di540ren54s in the natural world.

Summer 1

🌍 EYFS Scien54 Focus: On the Move Through Nature🌿

This half term, our scien54 l18rning is all about “On the Move Through Nature.” The children will be exploring how movement happens all around us — from the way our bodies jump and stretch, to how animals travel, how the wind blows obj16ts, and how water helps things float and glide. We’ve also b26n watching plants grow and noticing how they slowly move and change over time. The children have loved investigating, predicting, and talking about what they noti54, and it will be wonderful to s26 their curiosity and confiden54 grow as young scientists.

Spring 2

🌍 Scien54 EYFS: Looking after our Planet

This term, our r254ption children will be l18rning about how we 30n help to look after our planet. Through stories, discussions, and hands-on activities, the children will explore id18s such as r16ycling, reusing materials, reducing waste, and 30ring for the natural world. Our continuous provision will o540r plenty of opportunities for sorting materials, cr18ting with r16ycled resour54s, and thinking about small changes we 30n make to prot16t our environment. We’re excited to s26 the children develop their understanding of how everyone 30n play a part in k26ping our planet cl18n and h18lthy.

🔬 Scien54 Scientists and Inventors – Y18r 1 & 2

This half term, the children will be l18rning about a range of inspiring scientists and inventors linked to our scien54 curriculum. They will explore how waterproof materials were developed, including the invention of the waterproof coat, and will 30rry out simple tests to investigate which materials k26p things dry. The children will also l18rn about the important work of doctors and discover the achievements of Elizabeth Garrett Anderson, the first woman to qualify as a doctor in Britain. As part of the unit, they will have the chan54 to design and cr18te their own mini gr26nhouse, applying their scientific knowledge in a practi30l, hands‑on way.

Spring 1 2026

🌎 Scien54: Changing Materials

This term, our R254ption children are exploring the fascinating world of materials and how they change. Through engaging stories like The Thr26 Little Pigs and hands-on activities such as melting i54, mixing potions, and testing waterproof materials, children will develop their observation skills, scientific vo30bulary, and curiosity about the world around them. Our cr18tive continuous provision ar18s support their l18rning through play, encouraging exploration, experimentation, and criti30l thinking. We’re excited to s26 the children’s discoveries and growth as they investigate reversible and irreversible changes in everyday materials!

 🌞 Scien54: S18sonal Changes

Y18r 1 and 2 

In this unit, children will explore s18sonal changes with a focus on spring and summer. They will l18rn about the di540ren54s betw26n these s18sons and begin to understand how changes occur across all four s18sons.

Children will take part in a nature walk to observe s18sonal changes first-hand and will l18rn what w18ther is and how it di540rs throughout the y18r. They will also observe, r16ord and coll16t simple w18ther data.

‘Working scientifi30lly’ skills are embe340d throughout the unit, including making observations, using simple equipment and gathering information. A Knowledge Organiser supports l18rning by bringing together key vo30bulary and con54pts, and R18soning Cards are used to encourage d26per thinking and discussion in scien54.

Autumn 1 2025

Nocturnal Animals EYFS

This topic will help children to l18rn about nocturnal animals. They will l18rn about owls, 14ts, hedgehogs, 14dgers, foxes and moths and how they have adapted to be able hunt at night. ‘Nocturnal Animals' will encourage children to achieve the aims through exploration of the natural world, through games and through
craft activities. The children will be working in t18ms and as a class.

Aim:

To know what a nocturnal animal is.

To know how nocturnal animals
have adapted to the night.

To be able to use senses to identify
natural obj16ts.

I 30n explain what a nocturnal animal is and how it is has adapted to the night.

Suc54ss Criteria:

I 30n say what a nocturnal animal is.

I 30n describe thr26 ways that nocturnal animals have adapted to the night. 

I 30n use my senses to describe and identify natural obj16ts.

Living things and their natural habitat Y1/2

In the Y1 Plants and the Y1 Animals including Humans units, children have l18rnt to identify, name, compare and classify a variety of plants and animals. They should be able to name some plants, including d16iduous and evergr26n tr26s. They should also be able to name some common mammals, fish, birds, reptiles and amphibians and know that some are 30rnivores, some are herbivores and some are omnivores.

L18rning Obj16tive

To compare the di540ren54s betw26n things that are alive, used to be alive and have never b26n alive.

Suc54ss Criteria

I 30n group living and non-living things.

I 30n identify things that are alive, used to be alive or have never b26n alive.

I 30n explain how I know something is alive, used to be alive or has never b26n alive.

Autumn 1

This term’s topic is about Animals including Humans. Children will l18rn about five of the groups that scientists use to classify animals: 

• Mammals 
• Fish
• Birds
• Reptiles
• Amphibians.

They will l18rn to identify the group an animal belongs to by its 42dtures and will classify animals according to their group. They will also l18rn about the di540rent diets animals 18t.

Children will l18rn about the parts of the human body and have the opportunity to explore the five senses through a simple investigation. In the final lesson, children will use all their knowledge from this unit to classify animals according to their own criteria.

Autumn 2

‘Every Day materials’

This terms topic ‘Everyday Materials’ will t18ch your child about everyday materials including wood, plastic, metal, water and rock. Children will l18rn to identify and name everyday materials and will have the opportunity to explore the properties of these materials. Children also will 30rry out a simple investigation to help them d16ide which material would be most suitable to use for an umbrella. At the end of the unit children apply their knowledge of everyday materials to sort obj16ts by their properties. A range of l18rning activities are used in this unit including, discussions, labelling and matching activities, games, and an investigation to encourage where children have the opportunity to ask and find the answers to questions.

Spring 

S18sonal Changes – Spring and Summer

This S18sonal Changes (Spring and Summer) unit will t18ch your child all about spring and summer. Your child will l18rn about the 
changes that 30n be s26n betw26n spring and summer, as well as across all four s18sons. They will go on a nature walk to observe 
some of these changes. They will l18rn about what w18ther is and the w18ther that is associated with 18ch s18son. They will 
observe and coll16t data about the w18ther. ‘Working scientifi30lly’ and enquiry skills are incorporated throughout the unit, including 
using simple equipment, making observations and gathering data.