Science
Science
at St Anne’s Primary School
Intent: Why does our Science curriculum look like this?
At St Anne’s Primary, our children are SCIENTISTS! Our intent is to give every child a broad and balanced Science curriculum which enables them to confidently explore and discover what is around them, so that they have a deeper understanding of the world we live in. We want our children to love science. We want them to have no limits to what their ambitions are and grow up wanting to pursue a scientific career. We want our children to remember their science lessons in our school, to cherish these memories and embrace the scientific opportunities they are presented with! Our teaching of Science is focused on increasing children’s knowledge and understanding of our world and with developing skills associated with Science as a process of enquiry. We aim to develop children’s natural curiosity, encourage respect for living organisms and the physical environment and provide opportunities for evaluating and explaining evidence. Equipping our children with not only the minimum statutory requirements of the science National Curriculum but to prepare them for the opportunities, responsibilities and experiences of later life.
At St Anne’s Primary, in conjunction with the aims of the National Curriculum, our Science teaching offers opportunities for children to:
· Develop scientific knowledge and conceptual understanding through the specific disciplines of Biology, Chemistry and Physics;
· Develop understanding of the nature, processes and methods of Science through different types of science enquiries that help them to answer scientific questions about the world around them;
· Be equipped with the scientific knowledge required to understand the uses and implications of Science, today and for the future.
· Develop the essential scientific enquiry skills to deepen their scientific knowledge.
· Develop a respect for the materials and equipment they handle with regard to their own, and other children’s safety.
· Develop an enthusiasm and enjoyment of scientific learning and discovery.
Implementation: How will we achieve this?
As a school, we maintain strong links to the National Curriculum guidelines to ensure all aspects. Our curriculum is designed to ensure children know more, do more and remember more as they progress through school. Scientific enquiry skills are embedded into each topic and these are enhanced, revisited and developed throughout their time in school. Our teaching approach allows children to build upon their prior knowledge and increase their enthusiasm for Science whilst embedding knowledge into the long-term memory.
Our Teaching Approach
Science is taught in blocks of lessons to ensure children have opportunities for a sustained period of study and have time to embed and enhance their learning. We have developed detailed medium-term planning which supports teaching, ensures continuity and carefully plans for progression and depth. This medium-term planning ensures learning is practical and hands on. Specialist vocabulary linked to our Science topics is taught and built up, and effective questioning encouraged. Concepts are reinforced by focusing on the key features of scientific enquiry, so that children learn to use a variety of approaches to answer relevant scientific questions. Where appropriate we use science-based workshops, visitors and visits to excite and intrigue our children to find out more about real life science. We aim to give our children as much understanding as possible about what is was like to be a real scientist by having practical, investigative and enquiry-based lessons. The subject co-ordinator ensures resources are kept up to date, monitors the subject across the school, creates action plans and to provides subject feedback to SLT as appropriate.
Our children understand the core skills they need to learn in Science with the use of the school curriculum character – Simon the Scientist. This character is regularly used to encourage children to reflect on the key skills, attitudes and knowledge needed when learning across the Science curriculum.
Full details of our curriculum long term schemes of learning and curriculum pathways can be downloaded below.
Impact: How will we know that our children are achieving?
By the end of each key stage, children are expected to know, apply and understand the skills and techniques specified in the Science curriculum plans.
Pupils’ are assessed using our BALANCE tracking system which identifies clear and progressive end points. This ensures progress is maintained and end of key stage expectations are met by all children. Children are assessed half termly as either Working Well Below, Working Below, Nearly Working At or Working At, in accordance with Age Related Expectations.
Through the quality first teaching of Science taking place we will see the impact of the subject in various ways.
- Through pupil voice, children will be able to talk about the skills and knowledge they have acquired.
- Children will be engaged in Science lessons and want to find out more.
- Work will show a range of topics being covered, cross-curricular links are made where possible and work scaffolded as required.
- A celebration of learning for the year which demonstrates progression through the school (floor books)
- The school environment will be scientifically rich through displays, resources, vocabulary, etc.
As scientists, children will learn lessons from scientific discoveries to influence the decisions they make in their lives in the future and have a greater understanding of the world we live in.
