St Margaret'sC of E Primary School

“Nothing in life is to be feared, it is only to be understood. Now is the time to understand more, so that we may fear less”

– Marie Curie

Science Vision and Intent

At St Margaret’s we believe in a broad and balanced curriculum that inspires and engages all children.

Our Science curriculum enables children to explore and develop a deeper understanding of the world we live in. To achieve this, we advocate practical, hands-on experiences that encourage curiosity and questioning. Each session is built around a key question that the children will explore through different means. Our aim is that these stimulating and challenging experiences help children secure and extend their scientific knowledge and become curious, life-long learners. We want to equip our children at St Margaret’s with not only the minimum statutory requirements of the science National Curriculum but to prepare them for the opportunities, responsibilities and experiences of later life.

How we teach science

Implementation

At St Margaret’s we improve scientific understanding by enhancing the children’s; observational skills, curiosity, deeper thinking, independence, their ability to take time to consider, working collaboratively and becoming more resilient.

Teaching and learning:

At St Margaret’s we encourage a variety of creative approaches to deliver the National Curriculum for Science, including:

• practical investigations
• debates and discussions
• cross curricular links with other subjects
• trips and workshops
• photographic evidence
• outdoor learning
• marking special days/weeks

Implementation in Reception

Science in the Foundation Stage is an integral part of the children’s everyday learning as they explore the natural world around them. Through quality interactions with the staff supporting their play and learning our children are able to describe what they see, hear and feel while they are outside, observe seasonal changes to the weather, trees and plants and begin to recognise some environments that are different to the one in which they live. We capitalise on our children's natural curiosity and inquisitiveness and introduce some simple scientific experiments that encourage our children to question why something has happened and how it has happened. We make use of our school’s extensive outdoor area and plant seeds and learn to nurture them as they grow.

Implementation in KS1

The National Curriculum Programme of Study at Key Stage One focuses on enabling pupils to experience and observe phenomena, looking more closely at the natural and humanly constructed world around them. They should be encouraged to be curious and ask questions about what they notice. They should be helped to develop their understanding of scientific ideas by using different types of scientific enquiry to answer their own questions, including observing changes over a period of time, noticing patterns, grouping and classifying things, carrying out simple comparative tests, and finding things out using secondary sources of information. They should begin to use simple scientific language to talk about what they have found out and communicate their ideas to a range of audiences in a variety of ways. Most of the learning about science should be done through the use of first-hand practical experiences, but there should also be some use of appropriate secondary sources, such as books, photographs and videos.

Implementation in LKS2

The National Curriculum Programme of Study at Lower Key Stage Two focuses on enabling pupils to broaden their scientific view of the world around them. They should do this through exploring, talking about, testing and developing ideas about everyday phenomena and the relationships between living things and familiar environments, and by beginning to develop their ideas about functions, relationships and interactions. They should ask their own questions about what they observe and make some decisions about which types of scientific enquiry are likely to be the best ways of answering them, including observing changes over time, noticing patterns, grouping and classifying things, carrying out simple comparative and fair tests and finding things out using secondary sources of information. They should draw simple conclusions and use some scientific language, first, to talk about and, later, to write about what they have found out.

Implementation in UKS2

The National Curriculum Programme of Study at Upper Key Stage Two focuses on enabling pupils to develop a deeper understanding of a wide range of scientific ideas. They should do this through exploring and talking about their ideas; asking their own questions about scientific phenomena; and analysing functions, relationships and interactions more systematically. At upper key stage two, they should encounter more abstract ideas and begin to recognise how these ideas help them to understand and predict how the world operates. They should also begin to recognise that scientific ideas change and develop over time. They should 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. Pupils should 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.

Impact

‘Flourish’ as a Scientist:

At St Margaret’s, we believe that all children should have experiences that allow them to flourish as a Scientist. Each class has interactive Science working walls that enthuse and inspire children to want to know more. Hands-on experiences are gained through trips/visits/workshops that are available for all children in all year groups. The children’s work and learning is celebrated throughout the years so children can make links with their prior learning. Through the use of our knowledge organisers, children are given the key vocabulary and facts they need to flourish and succeed as a scientist.

‘Achieve’ success as a Scientist:

Feedback to our pupils is provided on their attainment against the objectives of science. Pupils are encouraged to improve their own learning performance through our school’s marking policy. We believe that through individualised feedback for each child, they can improve on their own attainment therefore allowing success for all.

‘Believe’ we can be a Scientist:

At St Margaret’s, we teach Science to all children, no matter their ability. Science forms a big part of our school’s curriculum that provides a broad and balanced education to all children. We use a range of strategies to support all our pupils and ensure all their needs are catered for in every Science lesson. At St Margaret’s, we celebrate the diversity that is within our community and curriculum and offer the children an insight into the lives of others. At St Margaret’s, we want to empower our children through their science learning, so they understand they have the capability to change the world.

Skills Progression Y1-6

*Note:  Topics that only occur in one year group are not included above

Seasonal Change – Y1

Rocks - Y3

Teeth – Y4

Sound – Y4

Space - Y5

Evolution – Y6

Inclusion and Adaptive Teaching

At St Margaret’s, we believe that every child can succeed in Science. Our curriculum is inclusive and ambitious for all pupils, including children with SEND, disadvantaged pupils and those who may experience additions additional barriers to learning. We are committed to ensuring that every child has an opportunity to develop scientific knowledge and engage with working scientifically skills.

Teacher use their understanding of the pupils’ individual starting points and work to provide high-quality adaptive teaching while maintaining high expectations of the curriculum. With this in mind, support is carefully tailored. Ways for children to demonstrate their understanding may also be adapted. Our approach is to adapt the support, not lower the ambition, ensuring that every child has the opportunity to flourish, achieve and develop as a confident, young scientist.

Assessment and Impact

At St. Margaret’s, we want pupils to remember more knowledge and continue developing their working scientifically skills. Assessment is an integral part of teaching and learning in school. Children’s progress should be monitored through observation and by using the planning and learning objectives. Teachers will assess the children’s learning at the end of each topic, with a separate assessment for the Working Scientifically skills. The assessment will then be used to inform future planning as well as to sustain continuity between classes and progressions of the pupils learning.

Key Documents

The following documents provide an overview of how Science in taught and developed at St Margaret’s C of E Primary School.

• Science Vocabulary Lists.pdf
• Science Whole School LTP.pdf
• Science Subject Knowledge Progression Y1-6.pdf
• Working Scientifically Skills Progression Y1-6.pdf

• PSQM R22a St Margarets.pdf