To equip children with sound scientific knowledge and skills, to inspire them to be curious and passionate in their learning about our world and to recognise it is everyone’s responsibility to sustain it for future generations.

Intent

At Our Lady Catholic Primary School, we study Science because Science means discovery.  Discovery of how the world works, our place, impact, role, and the responsibilities we have. To explore how scientific ideas, develop and how we learn by experimentation. We are committed to providing a stimulating, engaging and intellectually challenging learning environment.

Scientific enquiry skills are embedded in each topic the children study and these topics are revisited and developed throughout their time at school. Topics, such as Plants, are taught in Key Stage One and in LSK2 . This model allows children to build upon their prior knowledge and increases their enthusiasm for the topics whilst embedding this procedural knowledge into the long-term memory.

All children are encouraged to develop and use a range of skills including observations, planning and investigations, as well as being encouraged to question the world around them and become independent learners in exploring possible answers for their scientific based questions.

Implementation

We aim to achieve this by:

• Using activities that are carefully chosen so that they match specific curriculum intent.
• Using systematic teaching approaches, where learning is scaffolded using carefully sequenced explanations, models, analogies and other representations to help pupils to acquire, organise and remember scientific knowledge.
• Taking into account the limited working-memory capacity of their pupils when planning lessons.
• Supporting pupils to arrive at scientific explanations by giving them sufficient prior knowledge.
• Using systematic approaches, alongside carefully selected texts, are used to teach the most important vocabulary in science.
• Pupils have regular opportunities in the early years and primary classrooms to learn vocabulary through story and non-fiction books, rhymes, songs and oral rehearsal.
• Using strategies to ensure that children are interested and engaged in the content on each area of science

• Linking some of the scientists who are working, or have worked, in that particular area of science.
• Considering how the children could record their learning, but also the reasons for recording in each of the different instances.
• Using the local environment throughout the year to raise and answer questions that help the children to identify and study plants and animals in their habitat, and how the habitat changes throughout the year.
• Engaging the children in their science learning; using drama, deep thinking time, problem-solving in various contexts.

Impact

Our Science Curriculum is high quality, well thought out and is planned to demonstrate progression. If children are keeping up with the curriculum, they are deemed to be making good or better progress. In addition, we measure the impact of our curriculum through the following methods:

• Track progress throughout the year using the evaluation questions from the topic knowledge organisers and ongoing assessment.
• Tracking of knowledge in pre and post learning ‘Can I still …?’ questions throughout each topic when appropriate.
• Discussions with the children about their learning.

Inclusion

Our inclusive approach and differentiation allow all children to learn regardless of race, gender, faith, culture, or disability. We select and use resources that positively reflect all of the above. Teachers are aware that children bring to school different experiences, interests and strengths that will influence the way in which they learn science. Teachers will use a variety of teaching styles and strategies to meet the needs of all children in their science learning.

• Inclusion for science is carried out in line with the school’s policies for SEND, More and Most Able, Equal Opportunities and the Disability Equality Scheme.

Monitoring & Review.

The coordination and planning of the science curriculum are the responsibility of the Science Lead who also:

• Supports colleagues in their teaching, by keeping them informed about current developments in science and providing a strategic lead and direction for this subject.
• Gives the Head Teacher feedback in which she evaluates the strengths and weaknesses in science and indicates areas for further improvement.
• Uses specific allocated regular management time to review evidence of the children’s work / progress and to observe science lessons across the school.
• Shares best practice regarding science with teachers.