Science
Intent:
Implementation:
Impact:
In our school, we understand the need for all children to develop their scientific
ability as an essential component of all subjects and as a subject in its own right.
A good understanding of scientific knowledge and conceptual understanding
helps to support children work across the curriculum. Our high standards of
teaching and learning ensure an enriched science curriculum that is
progressive as our children move through the school and provides opportunities
for practical lessons on a weekly basis or through a half termly science day.
Where possible science is linked to class topics to enhance the link between
science and other areas of the curriculum. Our curriculum aims to match all
children's needs, to broaden the children’s scientific view of the world around
them, whilst promoting a love for enquiry and wanting to explore new things.
The implementation and teaching of Science is structured around our values, the National Curriculum and the Early Learning Goals (EYFS).
In science, we will inspire our children by giving them the opportunities to pursue their natural curiosity; promote the experience of exploration and investigation, in a range of contexts, to ensure a continually evolving knowledge and understanding of the world around them. Our children will be encouraged to ask questions, take risks, experiment, reflect, make and learn from mistakes; whereby they acquire and apply core skills which equip them for an ever-changing world.
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As well as the full range of practical scientific enquiries, we will provide plenty of other strategies to engage the children in their science learning: STEM, drama, deep thinking time, problem-solving in various contexts, videos and web pages.
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The principal focus of science teaching at St John's is to enable our children to experience and observe science through practical activities and ‘working scientifically’. They will explore the world around them by being curious and raising their own questions. They will do this through exploring and talking about their ideas; asking probing questions; experimenting with ideas; accurately recording their findings and drawing conclusions. They will also encounter more abstract ideas and begin to recognise how these ideas help them to understand and predict how the world operates. Our children will also begin to recognise that scientific ideas change and develop over time.
They will select the most appropriate ways to answer science questions using different types of scientific enquiry, including observing changes over different periods of time, noticing patterns, grouping and classifying things, carrying out comparative and fair tests and finding things out using a wide range of secondary sources of information.
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Our children will use complex scientific language to draw conclusions based on their data and observations, use evidence to justify their ideas, and use their scientific knowledge and understanding to explain their findings.
The impact of our curriculum is that by the end of each topic, the vast majority of children will have sustained mastery of the content, that is, they remember it all and are fluent in it; some pupils will have a greater depth of understanding.
By using the ‘hands on approach’ to science this will lead to increased engagement & achievement:
• More questioning
• Deeper thinking
• More discussion
• Less writing
• More practical activity
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Children’s attainment increases, pupils’ enjoyment increases and teacher’s enjoyment increases. The children will have a 'buzz' about science, they are very confident to express opinions, speculate and give justifications as to why they think as they do. They find science a lot more fun, it's far more interactive, conversational and they say it's fun! The pupils have more enthusiasm, deeper understanding and higher order thinking. All children are better engaged with their science learning and able to explore concepts practically. As a result, our children will be prepared for life in an increasingly scientific and technological world today and in the future.
Assessment, Monitoring and Evaluating
Assessment for learning will be continuous throughout the planning, teaching and learning cycle underpinning teaching and learning in science. However, children are more formally assessed termly in KS1 and KS2 using a variety of methods:
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Pre-unit and post unit assessment.
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Observing children at work, individually, in pairs, in a group, and in classes.
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Questioning, talking and listening to children.
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Considering work/materials / investigations produced by children together with discussion.
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Working Scientifically investigation assessment.
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Teacher judgement for parents on the annual report.
At St John's Church School, we aim to inspire our children by giving them the opportunities to pursue their natural curiosity; promote a love for enquiry and exploration of new things. Our curriculum aims to match all pupils’ needs, to broaden the children’s scientific view of the world around them.
Science vision & principles at
St John's
