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Science

Science curriculum statement 

INTENT  

  • Our science curriculum inspires excitement and curiosity about natural phenomena and the world around us. 

  • Our science curriculum equips children with an understanding of the essential aspects of knowledge, methods, processes and uses of science. 

  • Our science curriculum is broad and balanced.  It is taught as a discrete subject as we believe this approach encourages our children to use scientific vocabulary, empowers them to explore and analyse the world as a scientist, and immerses them in the awe and wonder of our world. 

  • Where meaningful, our science curriculum has links with other subjects so that our children broaden their understanding and apply their learning to different contexts (for example, in Year Three, the children learn about nutrition and food groups as part of their Animals including Humans unit, and then apply this when combining a variety of ingredients to make a sandwich in their ‘Sandwich Snacks’ Design and Technology unit). 

  • As children’s reading and writing skills are essential in becoming life-long learners, we incorporate purposeful reading within our science curriculum. Mathematics is also an essential life long skill and our children use a variety of data handling methods to analyse their investigations. 

  • Our science curriculum is coherently planned and sequenced for all our children. 

  • Our science curriculum is ambitious for all our children, including those with SEND, enabling every child to work to their full potential. 

  • In keeping with our Christian ethos, each science unit of work is introduced through discussion and debate around ‘big questions’ that explore the awe and wonder of God’s world and our place within it (for example, when introduced to the unit of Sound, Year Four children discuss the question, ‘How do we know that God hears our prayers?’ 

 

IMPLEMENTATION  

  • Our science curriculum is purposeful and engaging (for example, our Year Six children use their knowledge of reflection to make a periscope when studying their Light unit of work) 

  • The key concepts within our science lessons are regularly revisited through our spiral curriculum. This enables our children to know more and remember more about science. It also provides regularly opportunities for the children to develop and apply their skills by working scientifically. 

  • Children access their science lessons through high quality teaching during which they participate in a wide range of engaging learning experiences such as hands-on enquiry, debate, questioning, and model making. Our learning strategies are underpinned by our focus on independence, inquisitiveness and resilience. 

  • There is a strong focus on children using scientific vocabulary in written tasks, debate and discussion activities and in their oral contributions during lessons. 

  • All scientific lessons build upon prior learning and have clearly defined end points.    

  • In science lessons, teachers check pupils’ understanding effectively, identifying and correcting misconceptions.  

  • As part of our science curriculum, enrichment activities such as local field trips or visitors to the school are included wherever possible (for example, Year 4 are visited by Animal Workshops and allow the children to get hands on with animals and adaptations they have studied, including a variety of animals such as meerkats and centipedes). 

IMPACT 

  • We evaluate the knowledge, skills and understanding that children have gained in their science lessons against carefully planned end points to measure progression. 

  • Our science curriculum ensures children have the knowledge and cultural capital to succeed in the next steps of their education. 

  • In the monitoring of the science curriculum, we constantly strive for improvement through review and evaluation.