At Padnell Junior, we aim for children to learn science by being scientists: to experience how science works in the real world, to be faced with challenges, posed questions and seek to gain an understanding of how the world around them works. We achieve this by following a problem-solving approach where children apply their scientific knowledge in new contexts.

We encourage children to understand that what happens in science is not always what we expect and that sometimes we cannot easily explain what we observe. 

When we experience things that do not match what we expect, this fosters excitement and scientific curiosity and encourages children to think deeply about seeking out how to find answers.

It is our goal that children are able to plan and carry out fair tests and to be able to draw scientific conclusions from analysing their evidence. Science is a chance for children to think critically, discover new ideas and phenomena, work collaboratively and make better sense of the world.