Intent:
At our school, we want our children to love science. We teach science to be mainly of a practical nature, aiming to draw upon children’s own everyday experiences to get them motivated, curious and excited about their learning. This begins in the Early Years through developing inquisitive independent happy learners using a holistic approach to learning.
Our children will acquire and develop knowledge that has been established to ensure full coverage of the National Curriculum and to foster a sense of wonder about natural phenomena, alongside the application of the working scientifically skills of comparative and fair testing; pattern seeking; grouping and classifying; modelling and researching. We want our children to have a broad vocabulary. Scientific language is to be taught and built upon as topics are revisited in different year groups and across key stages.
Curriculum Overview:
For our children in the Early Years, their natural curiosity is enhanced through opportunities to explore the world around them, question and observe and foster a respect for their planet.
Through years 1 – 6, we follow a 2-year plan of science topics to ensure that children are exposed to the full breadth of the subject on a repeated basis. These are taken from CUSP and personalised to meet the needs of our children.
Children are assessed at the end of each topic in each year group against objectives outlined in the National Curriculum. Year 6 results are reported upon at the end of the year.
Scientific Skills:
Pupils will be exposed to a range of skills as scientists through each topic that they study. Over time they will become more confident and independent in using these skills. We believe that children should experience repeated, real-life application of their skills and knowledge to enable them to embed them in their long-term memory which ensures that they are prepared for Key Stage 3. Working scientifically skills include: pattern-seeking; identification and classification/grouping; comparative and fair/valid testing and researching.
Enrichment:
We endeavour to allow the children access to real-life science and scientists wherever possible, attending trips such as to our annual event fronted by the React Foundation; cross-curricular activities through our Forest School work; in-school science fayres and taking every opportunity we can to study the world around us. These are great ways for the children to see science in real life and how their lives are shaped by it every day.
