Curriculum Intent

INTENT, IMPLEMENTATION & IMPACT

INTENT

Through our teaching of Science, we aim to:

• Develop pupil’s enjoyment and interest in Science and to build on their enthusiasm and natural sense of wonder about the world.
• Develop pupil’s understanding of key scientific concepts and scientific skills.
• Enable pupils to effectively communicate scientific ideas by using an accurate scientific vocabulary.
• Develop, through practical work, the skills of: investigation, observation, prediction, pattern seeking, comparing, classifying, interpretation, communication, questioning and hypothesizing.
• Increase the use of precise measurement and data logging.
• Encourage and enable pupils to offer their own suggestions, and to be creative in their approach to science, and to gain enjoyment from their scientific work.
• Develop positive attitudes which encourage collaborative learning, and to encourage where possible, ways for children to explore science in forms that are relevant and meaningful to them.
• Encourage children to collect relevant evidence, to persevere in and to question outcome of their enquiries.
• Encourage children to treat the living and non-living environment with respect and sensitivity.
• Stress the need for personal and group safety by the correct usage and storage of resources.
• Enable children to appreciate that we do not always know the answers and results when carrying out scientific enquiry.
• Use a range of ICT equipment to enhance scientific learning. E.g. cameras to record investigations, data loggers for accurate measurements of temperature and digital microscopes for close observations. Programmes such as Excel are used to create graphs and charts to record results.
• Consider the ranges of scientific phenomena within pupil experience and relate this to their spiritual sense of awe and wonder.
• Consider the positive and negative effects of scientific and technological developments.
• Consider the wider social responsibility of scientists and science.
• Consider the role of science in understanding cultural experience and celebrations e.g. Diwali – Festival of Light.

IMPLEMENTATION

Planning

Planning should be in three phases:

• Long-term planning - the Science Curriculum Overview, which sets out the science topics to studied in each term, is in place to ensure full coverage of the curriculum.            
• Medium-term planning - Medium term planning, that is developed during the Year Group meetings, identifies: learning objectives, science activities, assessment opportunities, the vocabulary to be taught and used, safety issues, how information and communications technology and resources should be used. This should be shown on the ‘mind maps’ that all members of staff complete at the start of each unit.
• Individual lesson planning - the class teacher is responsible taking and adapting the medium term plans for their class. Lesson plans list: the specific learning objectives and success criteria, an of outline how the objectives will be taught, differentiation and should show how EAL, SEN and G&T children are to be supported, Afl, vocabulary and plenary.

Approaches to Teaching and Learning Scientific Enquiry

• Science is taught with an emphasis on the pupils engaging in practical enquiry to support/develop their understanding of scientific concepts and skills.
• Teachers are encouraged to use a range of strategies including: exploration, pattern seeking, identifying and grouping, observing over time, fair testing.
• Teachers try to ensure that some of the children’s ideas are used as a basis for enquiry.
• Classrooms have ‘Working Walls’ to display relevant scientific vocabulary and ideas relating to the unit of work and to working scientifically ensuring that science reflects its place as a core subject.

IMPACT

As with all our subject teaching, we do not teach Science in isolation to other curriculum areas; where possible, we relate the work undertaken to real life situations and we also aim to:

• Improve pupils' skills in English, Maths, History, Geography and Computing
• Develop pupils' thinking skills
• Promote pupils' awareness and understanding of gender, cultural, spiritual and moral issues
• Develop pupils as active and responsible citizens within their own and wider communities