Intent

The 2014 National Curriculum for science aims to ensure that all pupils during their time in primary school:

● Develop scientific knowledge and conceptual understanding through the specific scientific areas of biology, chemistry and physics
● Develop an understanding of the nature, processes and methods of science through different types of scientific enquiry that help them to answer scientific questions about the world around them
● Are equipped with the scientific skills required to understand the uses and implications of science, in the past, today and for the future. We understand that it is important for lessons to have a skills-based focus, and that the scientific knowledge and vocabulary can be taught through this. 

At Lings Primary School, we encourage all our children to be inquisitive throughout their time at our school and beyond. The Science curriculum helps develop a healthy curiosity in children about our universe and it helps to promote respect for the living and non-living. We believe science encompasses the acquisition of knowledge, concepts, skills and positive attitudes. Throughout the areas of study, the children will acquire and develop the key knowledge that has been identified within each unit and across each year group. The key knowledge identified by each year group is informed by the National Curriculum, and it builds towards identified phase ‘end points’ in accordance with NC expectations. Key skills are mapped for each year group, and these are progressive as pupils move through the school. Each year builds upon the previous and sets the foundation for the next. This helps to create systematic progression in accordance with the Working Scientifically skills expectations of the National Curriculum. The Science curriculum taught at Lings Primary, is designed to ensure that all children can acquire key scientific knowledge through practical experiences, using equipment, conducting experiments, building arguments and explaining concepts confidently. Across the areas of study, cross-curricular opportunities are identified, and these are mapped and planned to ensure contextual relevance to our pupils. All our children are encouraged to ask challenging questions and to enjoy being curious about their surroundings and Science in the world around them. Every child is encouraged and helped to grow a love of science, and this is nurtured through a whole school ethos and a varied and inspiring science curriculum.

Implementation

All teachers create a positive and inquisitive attitude to science learning within their classrooms and reinforce an expectation that all pupils are capable of achieving high standards in science. Our whole school approach to the teaching and learning of science involves the following:

• Science will be taught in planned and arranged topic blocks by the class teacher. This is a strategy to enable the achievement of a greater depth of knowledge. Topics will last half-termly and may feature cross-curricular opportunities if relevant.
•  Existing scientific knowledge is checked at the beginning of each topic as part of a retrieval of knowledge task in the first lesson. The children’s starting points inform teaching for that half term. It will inform us of the need to work with those children requiring support in retrieving prior knowledge and skills before progressing. It will also help identify any pre-existing misconceptions we may need to address.
• Through our thorough planning and discussions, we involve problem solving opportunities that allow children to apply their knowledge and find out answers for themselves. Children are at all times encouraged to ask their own questions and they will be given varied opportunities to use their scientific skills and research to discover the answers. All within the classroom celebrate this curiosity. Teachers plan engaging lessons, often involving high-quality resources to aid understanding of conceptual knowledge. Teachers will use targeted questioning and model the use of scientific language in class to test conceptual knowledge and skills, and to assess pupils regularly to identify those children with gaps in learning. Tasks are selected and designed to provide appropriate challenge to all learners, in line with the school’s inclusion policy.
• We build upon the knowledge and skill development of the previous years. As the children’s scientific knowledge and understanding increases, they become more confident in selecting and using scientific equipment, collating and interpreting results, and they become increasingly confident in their growing ability to come to conclusions based on real evidence that they have been a part of collecting.
• Working Scientifically is embedded into lessons to ensure that skills are systematically developed throughout the children’s school career, and that new vocabulary and challenging concepts are introduced through direct teaching. This is developed through the years, in-keeping with the topics.
• Teachers demonstrate how to use scientific equipment correctly and safely and model the various Working Scientifically skills in order to secure the pupil’s scientific understanding. Teachers find many opportunities to develop children’s understanding of their surroundings by accessing outdoor learning and workshops with experts.
• Children are offered a wide range of extra-curricular activities, visits, trips and visitors to complement and broaden the curriculum. These are purposeful and link with the knowledge being taught in class.
• Regular events, such as Science Week allow all pupils to come off-timetable, to provide broader provision and the acquisition and application of knowledge and skills. These events often involve families and the wider community and are delivered by staff in a highly engaging and enthusiastic manner.
• At the end of each topic, key knowledge is reviewed by the children and checked by the teacher often though a final work piece, to ensure knowledge and skills for that topic have been embedded.

Impact

This approach to Science at Lings Primary School results in a fun, engaging, high-quality science education and it provides our children with the foundations and knowledge for understanding their world. Our engagement with the local environment ensures that all of our children learn through varied and first-hand experiences of the world around them. Frequent and progressive learning outside the classroom is embedded throughout the science curriculum. Through various workshops, trips and interactions with experts, children have the understanding that science has changed our lives and the world we live in and that it is vital to the world’s future development. Children learn of the possibilities for careers in science, as a result of our community links and connection with local and national agencies including the local university and STEM Ambassadors. They learn from and work with professionals, ensuring access to positive role models within the field of science from the immediate and wider local community. From this exposure to science and scientists from all backgrounds and disciplines, all children can feel they are scientists and capable of achieving. Children at Lings Primary overwhelmingly enjoy science, and this results in motivated learners with sound scientific understanding.

Subject Documents