Science

Intent

To support our whole school curriculum intent in Science, we aim to give all children a strong understanding of the world around them whilst acquiring specific skills and knowledge to help them to think scientifically, to gain an understanding of scientific processes and also an understanding of the uses and implications of Science, today and for the future. 

At Charles Saer Community Primary School, children are encouraged to develop and use a range of skills including observations, planning and investigations, as well as being encouraged to question the world around them and become independent learners in exploring possible answers for their scientific based questions. We ensure that Working Scientifically skills are built on and developed throughout children’s time at school so that they can apply their knowledge of Science when using equipment, conducting experiments, building arguments and explaining concepts confidently and continue to ask questions and be curious about their surroundings. 

We want our children to have a broad vocabulary and we work hard to narrow the vocabulary gap. Scientific language is to be taught and built upon as topics are revisited in different year groups across key stages. In every classroom, ten new words are introduced and displayed each week, which often link to their current Science topic. Children become confident in using this new vocabulary and these words are then revisited throughout their time at school.

The staff at Charles Saer Community Primary School ensure that all children are exposed to high quality teaching and learning experiences, which allow children to explore their outdoor environment and locality, thus developing their scientific and investigation skills. We believe that first hand experiences are crucial in developing the whole child and children are offered a wide range of extra curricular activities, visits, trips and visitors to complement and broaden the Science curriculum. These are purposeful and link with the knowledge being taught in class. Children gain a lot from these experiences and they develop a sense of pride in self, school and community. Our Science curriculum enables children to develop their skills of cooperation and commitment through working with others, and to encourage where possible, ways for children to explore Science in forms which are relevant and meaningful to them. 

Implementation

At Charles Saer Community Primary School, we have developed a creative approach to our curriculum using ‘Curriculum Maestro’ units over a two-year cycle. Through this, Science is taught either as a cross-curricular link or as a focus topic, following the National Curriculum (2014) programmes of study. 

Planning for Science is a process in which all teachers are involved to ensure that the school gives full coverage of, ‘The National Curriculum programmes of study for Science 2014’ and ‘Understanding of the World’ in the Early Years Foundation Stage. Science teaching at Charles Saer Community Primary School involves adapting and extending the curriculum to match all pupils’ needs. Where possible, Science is linked to class topics. Science is taught as discrete units and lessons where needed to ensure coverage. 

In ensuring high standards of teaching and learning in Science, we implement a curriculum that is progressive throughout the whole school.

In Early Years and Nursery, continuous provision is carefully planned to ensure a variety of scientific activities are available for children to access freely. These activities encourage the learning of Science in a child led environment, where teachers and teaching assistants model and use questioning to encourage children to explore scientific concepts. Scientific language is modelled to children in order to encourage discussion during play and through the use of books and rhymes.

In Key Stage OneandKey Stage Two, lessons give children ample opportunity to explore and embed their scientific skills, using practical resources to support their learning.  

We ensure that all children are provided with rich learning experiences that aim to:

• prepare our children for life in an increasingly scientific and technological world today and in the future
• help our children acquire a growing understanding of the nature, processes and methods of scientific ideas
• help develop and extend our children’s scientific concept of their world
• build on our children’s natural curiosity and developing a scientific approach to problems
• encouraging open-mindedness, self-assessment, perseverance and developing the skills of investigation – including: observing, measuring, predicting, hypothesising, experimenting, communicating, interpreting, explaining and evaluating
• develop the use of scientific language, recording and techniques
• develop the use of computing in investigating and recording
• make links between science and other subjects.

We want every child to see themselves as a scientist and never stop being amazed by the wonders our world has to offer; to carry on asking questions and explore the possibilities open to them.

Whole School Overview 2019-2021:

Impact

The impact and measure of this is to ensure children not only acquire the appropriate age related knowledge linked to the science curriculum, but also skills which equip them to progress from their starting points, and within their everyday lives.

We aim to ensure that all pupils will:

• enjoy Science and are enthusiastic about Science within our school
• become increasingly independent in Science, selecting their own tools and materials, completing pupil lead investigations and choosing their own strategies for recording
• have a wider variety of skills linked to both scientific knowledge and understanding, and scientific enquiry/investigative skills
• have a richer vocabulary which will enable to articulate their understanding of taught concepts
• have high aspirations, which will see them through to further study, work and a successful adult life.

Primary National Curriculum Science link below:

Our full science curriculum statement here: 

Additional Opportunities in Science

Additional opportunities in Science include:

• visits/visitors
• Science after school clubs
• annual science day
• annual science quiz for more able students
• Science Ambassadors