Intent

Science at Castle Primary School aims to:

• Develop enquiring minds
• Relevant to the real world that live in now
• Fun and enjoyable
• Be hands on
• Learn processes relevant to real life supported by vocabulary of Science

At Castle Primary School, we provide a curriculum in line with the National Curriculum that is broad and balanced. Our curriculum aims for a ‘hands on’, full of ‘wonder and wow’ approach, inspiring the imagination and exploring opportunities to investigate in a range of practical ways.

We promote curiosity, generate questions to be investigated and develop natural inquisitiveness and instil a ‘love of learning’. It is our intent that our children do this by applying knowledge and skills from a range of subjects and to ensure our curriculum builds on previous learning and is progressive. 

Through science lessons it is our intent to allow children to have first-hand opportunities to explore and ask questions as well as learn about the work of famous and contemporary scientists. To generate questions to be investigated, make predictions, participate in practical activities using a range of equipment, to collate results and draw conclusions based on their findings. Children will have opportunities to work in a variety of ways: independently, collaboratively and have opportunities to apply different learning styles. Our aim is for our children to become scientifically literate and maybe one day aspire to jobs in the field of science.

Implementation

Science is taught at Castle Primary School through a variety of approaches. These may include: investigations, practical experiments, video clips, stories or drama. Children are encouraged to ask their own questions and be given opportunities to use their scientific skills and research to discover the answers. We ensure that scientific skills are used and embedded at every opportunity and outdoor learning used when applicable.

Existing knowledge is checked at the beginning of each topic to ensure that teaching is informed by the children’s starting points and that it takes account of pupil voice, knowledge and skills acquired. We build upon the knowledge and skill development of the previous years. As the children’s knowledge and understanding increases they become more proficient in selecting and using scientific equipment, collating and interpreting results, and become increasingly confident in their growing ability to come to conclusions based on real evidence.

EYFS

Science in the Early Years Foundation Stage is planned using the Early Years Curriculum ‘Understanding of the World’.

Key Stage 1

Science teaching in Key Stage 1 will:

• • Enable pupils to experience and observe phenomena, by looking more closely at the natural and humanly-constructed world around them.

• • Encourage pupils to be curious and ask questions about what they notice.
  • Help children 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.
  • Teach children 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.
  • 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.
  • Always include ‘Working Scientifically’ which will be taught through and be clearly related to the teaching of substantive science content in the programme of study.
  • Enable pupils to read and spell scientific vocabulary at a level consistent with their increasing word reading and spelling knowledge at key stage 1.

Lower Key Stage 2

Science teaching in lower key stage 2 will:

• • Enable pupils to broaden their scientific view of the world around them and develop greater curiosity for scientific knowledge.
  • Teach pupils to 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.
  • Encourage pupils to 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.
  • Teach children to draw simple conclusions and use some scientific language, first, to talk about and, later, to write about what they have found out.
  • Always include ‘Working Scientifically’ which will be taught through and be clearly related to the teaching of substantive science content in the programme of study.
  • Enable pupils to read and spell scientific vocabulary correctly and with confidence.

Upper Key Stage 2

Science teaching in upper Key Stage 2 will:

• • Enable pupils to develop a deeper understanding of a wide range of scientific ideas.
  • Teach pupils to do this through exploring and talking about their ideas; asking their own questions about scientific phenomena; and analysing functions, relationships and interactions more systematically.
  • Let the children encounter more abstract ideas and begin to recognise how these ideas help them to understand and predict how the world operates.
  • Enable children to recognise that scientific ideas change and develop over time.
  • Teach children to 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.
  • Teach pupils 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.
  • Always include ‘Working Scientifically’ which will be taught through and be clearly related to the teaching of substantive science content in the programme of study.
  • Enable pupils to read, spell and pronounce scientific vocabulary correctly.

Impact

When our pupils leave each Key Stage, learners will have the Scientific knowledge, skills and vocabulary necessary to progress to the next stage of their learning. We firmly believe that a deep understanding of Science is key to success in everyday life and so the impact of our Science curriculum goes beyond the results of assessments.

Our Science curriculum allows children to approach a range of real-life problems and apply their scientific skills to solve them. From exposure to a range of different scientists from various backgrounds, all children feel they are scientists and capable of achieving.

Children will have overwhelmingly enjoyed science and this results in motivated learners with a sound scientific understanding.

As a result of high-quality teaching, learners make sustained progress in Science and develop the skills, knowledge and confidence to challenge and investigate throughout their lives.