This page explains how children learn science at our school.  Also attached are documents outlining the units studied in each year and the progression of skills and knowledge.

What state of matter is it?

Intent

In science, we show children how their natural inclination to ask 'why' combined with keen observations are key to success in science.  Whilst our curriculum is divided into the strands of biology, physics and properties of materials, we also encourage children to make links in their learning both in and between the different disciplines and topics.   By recapping past learning as well as looking forward to future studies, they start to develop and deepen their own schema for the topics they study.

Our aims are:

• to develop the children’s natural curiosity about the world around them;

• to encourage them to talk in science and ask questions; and

• to build their working scientifically skills through carrying out enquiries to answer questions.

They will study key scientists in the past and today to help them appreciate how humans have built up their scientific knowledge over time through scientific enquiry.  They will also look at the uses and implications of the areas of science they are studying, both today and for the future.

Science Day

Implementation

Children in EYFS develop their curiosity and understanding of the world through exploring, talking and asking and starting to find answers to their questions.   In Key Stages one and two, children study the programme of study for their year group in the National Curriculum as set out in the curriculum map for Science at the end of this document.  

In most lessons there will be two learning objectives: a knowledge objective and a working scientifically objective. Teachers use the ASE (the Association for Science Education) planning matrices for subject knowledge and working scientifically as a starting point for planning their topics. 

We follow these planning matrices to ensure:

• full coverage of the curriculum;
• that explicit links are made to past and future learning in each topic: and
• that teachers are aware of common misconceptions and plan teaching to ensure these are addressed.

Teachers use their professional judgement, with support from the subject leader as needed, to decide how to use these planning documents to ensure:

• teaching provides appropriate support and challenge for all of the children in their class; and
• that, throughout an academic year, the children cover and progress in all aspects of working scientifically for their key stage.

The development of key scientific vocabulary is essential is science.  Key vocabulary for the topics and skills studied in each key stage has been identified and is taught explicitly in science lessons.

Children are encouraged to talk and discuss their understanding of science.  One way this is done is through using activities in lessons such as those on Explorify.  Children are also given opportunities to ask and answer questions through scientific enquiry. A big focus within our school is on perseverance and resilience. Children learn about the importance of working carefully and persevering in scientific enquiries.  They discover that they can learn as much from when things go wrong as they do when they do not.

As a school, we are using the TAPS pyramid as the basis for our formative and summative assessment.  An elicitation task is used at the start of a unit.  A focused assessment task is used during the topic so teachers can adjust the teaching and learning for the remainder of the unit as needed. Ongoing formative assessment is used in lessons to plan future teaching and learning. 

Using the TAPS pyramid, teachers’ on-going formative assessment from a range of work is used for summative reporting.  Teachers record their summative assessments termly using the school’s assessment matrices (which list the statutory programmes of study for the topics and working scientifically skills their class have studied).  Teachers list the children who are not secure in their learning and those that are working at depth in each area.  These records are used to improve teaching by identifying gaps and areas for improvement.  They are also used to ensure children who need support or extending are identified accurately as they progress through the school and that they are given the support or extension needed to make good progress. 

Children are also assessed at the end of Key Stage 1 and 2 as required by the National Curriculum.

What do plants need to grow?

Impact

Our curriculum will have had the desired impact if the children are asking and answering questions about their learning in science.  They should also be developing the working scientifically skills and knowledge set out in our skills progression document for the units they have studied.

We will be able to measure our impact through:

• Ongoing formative and summative assessment carried out by class teachers and moderated as a whole school.
• A review of science books showing both individual and school-wide progression.
• Talking to children about science and observing science lessons, for example:
  • Can they talk about their learning?
  • Are children demonstrating increasing resilience and willingness to persevere in science?
  • Are children developing their abilities in making predictions and justifying their thinking?

  • Are children developing their skills in working together to plan and carry out scientific investigations?

  • Are children practising and using the working scientifically skills learnt to date with increasing proficiency? 

  • Can they talk about the choices they are making when planning, carrying out and recording their investigations?

  • Are they developing their ability to suggest improvements to their investigations.

To improve our impact going forward, assessment, both formative and summative, along with moderation is used by class teachers and the Science Subject Leader to support children to make progress and to raise the standards of teaching in the subject.   This can be done through adapting future units and/or providing support to specific children and/or staff, as appropriate. Staff also share good practice and ideas in a supportive environment both in staff meetings and more informally. 

We aim to develop children's scientific vocabulary.  Below you can find the vocabulary we will be using with your child, sorted into year groups.