Science

Intent:

Our vision is to provide a high-quality science education, which provides the foundations for understanding the world through the specific disciplines of biology, chemistry and physics. All pupils will know essential aspects of the knowledge, methods, processes and uses of science through building up a body of key foundational knowledge and concepts and are encouraged to recognise the power of rational explanation by developing a sense of excitement and curiosity about natural phenomena. Pupils will be encouraged to understand how science can be used to explain what is occurring, predict how things will behave, and analyse causes. They display a passion for science and its application in past, present and future technologies.

Links to school vision and values - ‘Life in all its fullness’ John 10:10

Children undertaking investigations in a thoughtful and engaging way.
Teamwork, discussing ideas and being thoughtful enough to understand, even if they don’t agree, with other children’s ideas.
Learning about different discoveries and creations that occurred through time.
Exploring the natural world around us appreciating what we have but also how all living things are precious and unique.

Implementation:

Through planning stimulating lessons that challenges pupil’s ideas about Science and the world around them and exploring resources and equipment needed for exciting hands on investigations, children will make clear progress and be seen clearly throughout the school.

We believe our pupils should have the ability to think independently and raise questions about working scientifically and the knowledge and skills that it brings.

We ensure our children have the confidence in the full range of practical skills, taking the initiative in, for example, planning and carrying out scientific investigations. Pupils should have the ability to undertake practical work in a variety of contexts, including fieldwork.

We aim for our pupils to have excellent scientific knowledge and understanding which is demonstrated in written and verbal explanations, solving challenging problems and reporting scientific findings. They will display high levels of originality, imagination or innovation in the application of skills.

The National Curriculum is followed in Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 and provides a full breakdown of the statutory content to be taught within each unit. Children in Nursery and Reception follow the Early Years Foundation Stage curriculum.

Impact

To assess pupil outcomes for Science, our system at SMATT using the Pilgrim Progress ensures we gain an overview of a pupil’s typical attainment at the beginning and end of each Science Unit of Work. Children are assessed using a scale of Developing, Expected and Exceeding. These are derived from on-going teacher assessments and age-related criteria. When teachers assess in class they do so in relation to each child’s ability to know, understand and apply new scientific knowledge.

Everyone’s experience of the world is cross curricular, as everything that surrounds us can be seen and understood from multiple perspectives. Our Science curriculum at SMATT therefore aims to take advantage of a range of opportunities for children to make links between different subject areas, supporting the use and application of what has already been taught and learned in new and different ways and providing opportunities for deep, meaningful learning. For example, Forest School is a fantastic area of the curriculum that lends itself to the Science curriculum.

Tracking progress and attainment in science at SMATT

The National Curriculum for Science aims to ensure that all pupils:

Develop scientific knowledge and conceptual understanding through the specific disciplines of biology, chemistry and physics
Develop understanding of the nature, processes and methods of science through different types of science enquiries that help them to answer scientific questions about the world around them
Are equipped with the scientific knowledge required to understand the uses and implications of science, today and for the future.

There is a clear progression in each unit and this can clearly be seen throughout the school in each year group so that children are extending their knowledge from learning in previous year groups.

Science Overview

During Nursery and Reception pupils will have be provided with a provision that allows them to

Explore the natural world around them.
Describe what they see, hear and feel whilst outside
Recognise some environments that are different from the one in which they live.
Understand the effect of changing seasons on the natural world around them.

Scientific Enquiry is enhanced by

Providing children with have frequent opportunities for outdoor play and exploration.
Encouraging interactions with the outdoors to foster curiosity and give children freedom to touch, smell and hear the natural world around them during hands-on experiences.
Encouraging focused observation of the natural world.
Listening to children describing and commenting on things they have seen whilst outside, including plants and animals.
Encouraging positive interaction with the outside world, offering children a chance to take supported risks, appropriate to themselves and the environment within which they are in.

Assessment of learning will be through observations considering the following questions:

Can children talk about and draw what they can see?
Can children describe their environment and comment on contrasting environments from books?
Can children describe what changes in each season?

Children at the expected level of development will:

Explore the natural world around them, making observations and drawing pictures of animals and plants;
Know some similarities and differences between the natural world around them and contrasting environments, drawing on their experiences and what has been read in class;
Understand some important processes and changes in the natural world around them, including the seasons and changing states of matter.

Suggested reading and book lists for Primary Science Topics:

https://www.booksfortopics.com/science

celebrating science booklist.pdf