At St. Mary’s Catholic Primary School, Personal, Social, Health, and Economic (PSHE) education is embedded within our

overarching curriculum that prepares our children for many different aspects of their lives.  

Our overall goal is to help our children to become well-rounded individuals with strong character, who will eventually go out into the world of adults and be actively and positively involved in society.   In order to do this, we are striving to create a conducive environment around the school and this year we have created our own specific Personal Development Curriculum that is entwined with our academic curriculum.

Our curriculum aims to provide engagement and enrichment and through this, we aim for all children to have equal opportunities to thrive together.  

Academic Year 2025-2026

Nazareth Class - Life Cycles

In our science topic, Nazareth Class explored the life cycles of different groups of animals, including mammals, amphibians, insects and birds. They investigated how animals grew and changed throughout their lives, examining key stages such as birth, development, reproduction, and adulthood. The children compared the life cycles of different animal groups, identified similarities and differences and explored how adaptations supported survival at each stage. The children were fantastic scientists and were able to extend their scientific vocabulary – they learned words such as metamorphosis which describes the stages of development of an amphibian for example.  Through observation, discussion and scientific inquiry, the class developed a deeper understanding of the diversity of life and the processes that enable species to continue across generations. 

Let their be LIGHT!

In Year 6, we have been learning all about light in Science. We explored the colour spectrum and discovered how white light can be separated into the colours of the rainbow through refraction. We also investigated how we see light, learning that light travels from a source and reflects off objects into our eyes. As part of our topic, we studied different types of light, including natural and artificial sources, and carried out exciting experiments to help us understand how light behaves.

Cana Class

We have been focusing on animals, animal groups and animal diets. We started by grouping animals into mammals, reptiles, birds, fish and amphibians. We were able to group different animal based on their different features such as if they have feathers or a backbone. We then thought about different diets that animals have. We have learnt that some animals are carnivores, this means that they only eat meat.  Some animals only eat plants which, means they are herbivores and some animals eat meat and plants which makes them omnivores. 

Caterpillars

Children in class have thoroughly enjoyed learning about the life cycle of a caterpillar. We read stories, drew pictures, labeled and are watching our 5 caterpillars grow. Welcome to our class Matthew, Mark, Luke, John and Samuel! 

Planting in Bethlehem Class

During our outdoor time, the children have planted sunflowers and vegetables they have enjoyed watering and making predictions as to which will grow first.

LEGO Builders Workshop

In our LEGO Builders workshop, we linked our science topic on electricity by building LEGO houses and adding lights that actually lit up using simple circuits. We explored how electricity flows and what is needed to make a complete circuit. Afterward, we combined all our houses to create a village and added a working train line, making our model come to life. This helped us understand electricity in a fun, hands-on way while working together as a team.  What a fabulous morning we've had!

Learning how to make a series circuit

In science lessons, we have been learning about electricity. The children built simple electrical circuits using cells, bulbs and wires, and learned how to draw these circuits accurately using the correct scientific symbols. They also carried out investigations to test how to make bulbs brighter, exploring what happens when different numbers of cells are used and what changes occur when two bulbs are added to a circuit with just one cell. This hands-on learning helped pupils develop their understanding of how circuits work and build their practical science skills.

Heart & Lung Dissecting

In our science lesson, we had the opportunity to work with two teachers from Cardinal Allen.  We looked at the heart and the lungs and had the opportunity to dissect parts of them so we could see the different parts.

Academic Year 2024-2025

Accordion, Bodhran and Flute Class joined together to release the Butterflies

Bodhran Class

We used our knowledge of carnivores, herbivores and omnivores we investigated animal poo (playdoh) to see what category of animal each poo belonged to. 

Creative LEGO Builders Workshop 

As part of our science topic this half term in Saxophone class, we are learning about electricity.  We've taken part in a LEGO Builders workshop where we made our own LEGO cities before adding circuits to create light!  We even added a moving train!

LEGO Builders 

Y3/4 and Y6 had the pleasure of learning about circuits and electricity through making LEGO houses and creating a circuit to light up their own town. They all had a great time.

Science in Bodhran Class (Year 1 / 2)

We have been testing the water absorbency of a variety of materials such as tin foil, cardboard, wood, paper, plastic bags, cotton wool and bubble wrap.

STEM RAF Rocket Builder Challenge Day

We have taken part in this year’s rocket builder STEM challenge whereby we had to make our own rocket and test its launch.  We had to think about many different areas of STEM including the science behind the launch, the maths behind its build, the design process and much more!  We worked as a team to create our own rockets and then we tested them out to see how far they travelled.  Our STEM booklets show the process and the testing and recording stages.

Bodhran Class- Autumn 2

We have been investigating different everyday materials. We explored our whole school to see what materials we could find. We found examples of metal, plastic, fabric, glass, wood, wool, rubber and brick. We had a really great discussion about all of these different materials and what is the same and what is different. We then read the ‘Spacesuit’ a book about the seamstresses who won a competition to make the spacesuits for  Buzz Aldrin and Neil Armstrong -the first men on the moon. This made us wonder… what everyday material would be best to make a spacesuit? 

Science in Harp Class
 

Heart & Lung Dissecting in Saxophone Class

This morning, we had a visit from two science teachers from Cardinal Allen.  During our practical session, we took part in heart and lung dissecting.  It was interesting to see the different components of each which in turn helped us to consolidate the learning we have done in class.

Identifying the Components of the Blood in Saxophone Class

Four our session today, we 'made' the components of the blood using sweet treats!  This helped us to remember the different components and what they do inside our bodies!

In Bodhran class we have been exploring our five senses. Here we are investigating our sense of taste. We tried five different foods from the five taste groups.

• Sweet- marshmallow
• Salty- ready salted crisps
• Sour- lemon
• Bitter- dark chocolate
• Savoury- cheese

We then held a class vote to find our favourite taste. Not surprisingly sweet taste got the most votes and in second place was the sour taste.

Accordian Class

The children have created their own nature catchers, they really enjoyed exploring our outside space and finding lots of minibeasts.

In Bodhran Class we have been learning all about our own bodies. We started off by seeing how many body parts we could label (after drawing around our friend). We then started to think about our five senses. We have been on a sound walk around school to listen carefully to all the different things we could hear and we have had a treasure hunt in our classroom when we had to use our eyes to finds objects to match different descriptions.

Science in Harp Class 

Grouping and classifying living things

Academic Year 2023-2024

Year 4 have been learning all about teeth - the types of teeth, their function, how it links with diet as well as the layers we have. Year 4 learnt about eh layers and how we need to look after them. The children then used a disclosing tablet to see the plaque on their teeth - blue is old and red is new. We then shared ways we can help protect our teeth and avoid getting plaque by changing our toothbrush monthly, brushing twice a day (for two minutes) and avoiding sugary food and drinks.

Hughes Class - Year 1

Hughes Class have been thinking about different types of animals. We have looked at mammals, birds, fish, amphibians, reptiles and how all of these types of animal have their own special features. Next up we will be thinking about what animals eat and how we can discover whether an animal is a herbivore, carnivore or omnivore by investigating their poo! 😂

Whole School Planetarium Day

The Planetarium visited school today to engage us further in science.  During the session, we learned about the sun, Earth, the moon, and space.  We learnt about the NASA space mission to the moon and how the space rockets are built and sustained. 

Heart & Lung Dissecting

Thank you to Cardinal Allen for coming into school this morning to support our science topic.  They were able to lead a session on heart and lung dissecting.  This enabled the children to see up close the components of the heart and the lung!  A very interesting, practical session.

Mad Science TV Performance!

In Science, we've created our own Mad Science TV show that teaches children all about the circulatory system!

The Circulatory System Project Homework

The children enjoyed making their own creations for the circulatory system homework!  We had a range of projects from game show quizzes, 3D models, fact files, leaflets and practical equipment!  A huge well done to everyone involved!  We loved showcasing these in class today!

Year 2/3 - Waterproof Investigation

Year 2/3 children completed their Science topic on Materials by planning and conducting an investigation on which materials are waterproof. We tested tin foil, felt, nylon and cling film. We discussed the need for a fair test, what we would keep the same and what we change.

Voltage Experiment 

In science, we experimented with voltage.  We wanted to find out whether the bulb would be brighter with a higher voltage and whether the buzzer would be louder with a higher voltage.  

RAF Challenge Day - STEM

Today, we took part in a rocket builders challenge which was presented by the RAF.  During the STEM challenge, we designed, built and tested our rockets before taking part in a sustainability for the future challenge.  Take a look at some of our hard work!  Thank you to the Royal Air Force for sponsoring this challenge; we had lots of fun. 

Maurice Sendak - Electro LEGO Builders workshop

We had so much fun today starting off our electricity topic with a WOW starter.  Stephen from LEGO builders came in to help us build LEGO cities which included lights and circuits.  We added moving trains and put all of our buildings together to make one big city!  Look at our creations...

What you should know about H20 

Today, the whole school took part in an assembly presented by United Utilities who work in conjunction with Mad Science.  The children talked about the water cycle, saving water, hygiene and much more!  Take a look at our pictures - we even had audience participation!

Science

During this term we have been looking at Diet and Nutrition. We have started by how we can group food and the meaning of different words. We have looked at a balanced diet and how we need food from different categories to have a healthy diet. 

Hughes Class

This half term our lovely year 1 / 2 class have been learning about the human body. We know where different parts of our body are located and what the different parts of our body are used for. We have been particularly busy thinking about our five senses. We know that our five senses are smell, taste, sight, hearing and touch. We have enjoyed some practical lessons learning about our senses.

Feathery friends

Our lovely little school had some special, feathery visitors today. The Bird Man came for his annual visit with his spectacular birds of prey. As always, it was a fantastic, informative experience for the children. 

Sendak class - classifying animals

Our science topic for this half term is classifying animals and their habitats. We began the topic by having a think about what me already know about classifying animals and what we might like to learn. After this, we read through our knowledge organisers which will be our reference point as we move through the topic.  

Can you see the light? 

Shelly Woods class are seeing the light this week. Our Science topic is light and refraction and our writing task for this week will be creating an explanation text outlining how we see and the work by Isaac Newton.  

Understanding the World

In Daley Class we have been talking about growing up and how we change as we grow up. We can do lots of things now that we couldn't do when we were toddlers!

Our UCLAN adventure

Today was an extra special day for Shelly Woods class. We visited UCLAN for a morning of forensic science/policing activities. The children took fingerprints, examined CCTV footage for clues about a robbery, analysed footprints and looked at facial recognition techniques. As if all this wasn't enough, we then enjoyed a spectacular tour of the campus. It was a memorable day,  the children will never forget having visited a university.  After such a great visit, our hope is that they may even have been inspired to go to university themselves! 

Today in EYFS we chose Floating and Sinking as a theme, and did our learning both indoors and outdoors. First we predicted whether some objects such as coins, cotton wool, pencils and wax crayons would float or sink. Then we tested each object and compared results. We were correct on every prediction!

Then we went outside and investigated for ourselves some other objects which float and sink. Indoors we made boats out of recycled plastic and cardboard.  We had lots of fun! Tomorrow we are going to test our boats on water to see if they float or sink.

Science Day!

Today our school is celebrating Science. Each class will be completing various STEM activities (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) and each key stage will enjoy a spectacular science assembly. 

Woods class were tasked with creating a 20 second timer, based on the idea of helping Cinderella to tell the time so that she can leave the ball on time. The children worked in small groups to complete the challenge. It wasn't easy and they did a fantastic job, the winning team managed to produce a 22 second timer (impressively close to the target time). 

LEGO Builders Workshop - Science Circuits

We LOVED our morning with the LEGO builders workshop - we built a LEGO city, made circuits and lit it all up!  We even made the train move forwards and backwards!

Creepy Crawly Roadshow 2023

We loved our session with the creepy crawly roadshow!  We learnt about different creatures and then did a question and answer.  Some of us were lucky enough to have a snake around our neck!

Blackpool Gazette

In the Autumn term, some children attended a science project at Blackpool Football club.  We have just received news that the day has received a write up in the gazette.  Well done!  You can find the link below.

https://www.blackpoolgazette.co.uk/news/people/the-future-of-fylde-coast-is-bright-after-being-left-in-the-hands-of-local-schools-3974920 

Is there anybody out there? 

Today was a unique and interesting day for our children. The Planeterium was in school and each class enjoyed a session, in which they learnt all about the delights of the solar system. It was a fabulous experience for our children, both fun and informative. It was mesmerising and the children were enthralled! 

Parental Engagement & Science Celebrations

Thank you to our parents who celebrated our science success with us and stayed behind after assembly to look at our projects.  

The ‘Road to Riat Challenge'

Our class took part in a special challenge today. The ‘Road to Riat Challenge’, delivered by the RAF, allowed us to create and test our own rockets.  We planned our design, made it and tested it with different ‘loads.’  This challenge enabled us to work as a team, work individually and work scientifically. The ‘Road to Riat Challenge’, delivered by the RAF, allowed us to create and test our own rockets.  We planned our design, made it and tested it with different ‘loads.’  This challenge enabled us to work as a team, work individually and work scientifically.

Building bridges 

Our enhancement week activity for today was bridge building. The children looked at various famous bridges and discussed features of their design. We then worked in small groups to design and build a bridge – each group working with different materials.  Teamwork and communication were the highest priorities, as well as a sturdy bridge design.

Science STEM Enthuse Project - Shelly Woods Class

Saving Blackpool sea front!  We were lucky enough to take part in Blackpool's Enthuse project at Blackpool Football Club.  The children had to come up with innovative ideas that would eventually become a reality in the future.  We came up with a salt water sensor, turbines on the tower and an illuminator app and device that created kinetic energy.  The judges were very impressed and we had a great day presenting our ideas, watching a science show and then working as a team on two STEM activities. 

STEM Enthuse Partnership - The planning stage!

We have the opportunity to take part in the STEM Enthuse project at Blackpool Football Club.  We are currently in the planning stage but our project ideas are top secret!  We will keep you informed along the way!  We cant wait to take part in the science project in a few weeks!

King Class

This half term the children have been learning about mini-beasts and their habitats and the life processes that animals and living things need.

Pele Class

In Pelè Class, they have been learning about space and earth. During their science lessons, they have talked about the planets, how the earth orbits the sun and how the moon orbits the earth

STEM challenge

Exciting news! Some our year 5/6 children are taking part in a STEM challenge next month, to be hosted at Blackpool Football Club. The challenge is to design future, renewable ideas to help Blackpool avoid flooding and maintain electricity supplies - hence keeping the illuminations shining. We have already started thinking about our ideas but, owing to the competitive nature of the challenge, we are unable to divulge anymore information at this stage.  Watch this space for more information in the coming weeks...

Bird Man

In assembly this morning, we listened carefully to the bird man as he told us all about his birds of prey.  He told us all about adaptation and survival, key learning that links to our science!  Take a look at our pictures to see how much fun we had. 

World Heart Day 

Shelly Woods class acknowledged World Heart Day by having a discussion about how best to keep our heart healthy. The children did a poster containing information. We also combined this with a practical experiment to replicate blood and all it's components. 

Testing materials to see if they are reflective!  Look how much fun we had!  We made predictions and then tested them out! 

How does the heart work? 

Our focus on the heart continued this afternoon. We looked at a diagram of the heart and labelled the various parts. We also discussed the function of each part. 

The lungs

We also continued our exploration of the circulatory system with an in-depth look at the lungs. We drew a diagram of the lungs and discussed the parts and their function. I think you'll agree they did a fantastic job.  

Heart and Lung Dissecting 

Our science lesson took an exciting turn today when Mr Harding, from Cardinal Allen High school, came to visit us.  He brought with him heart and lungs for us to dissect.  We spoke about the different elements of the heart, lungs and the windpipe and then worked together as a team to dissect different parts.  Take a look at the fun we had - what a fabulous way to start our science topic!

KS2 Manchester Science Museum 2022

What a wonderful trip to the Science Museum we had in KS2 - fun, shows, experiments and lots of exploring.