Intent:
Science teaching at Chiseldon Primary School aims to give all children a strong understanding of the world around them whilst acquiring specific knowledge and skills to help them: think scientifically; gain an understanding of scientific processes and also an understanding of the uses and implications of Science, today and for the future.
Scientific enquiry skills are embedded in each theme that the children study and these topics are revisited and developed throughout their time at school. Themes, such as Animals, including humans, are taught in Key Stage One and studied again in further detail in Key Stage Two. This model allows children to build upon their prior knowledge and increases their enthusiasm for the subject whilst embedding this procedural knowledge into their long-term memory. All children are encouraged to develop and use a range of skills that include: forming predictions, making observations and posing questions to investigate the world around them.
Implementation:
In ensuring high standards of teaching and learning in Science, we implement a curriculum that is progressive throughout the whole school. Planning for Science is a process in which all teachers are involved in to ensure that the school gives full coverage of, ‘The National Curriculum programmes of study for Science 2014’ and, ‘Understanding of the World’ in the Early Years Foundation Stage. Although staff are provided with a scheme of work and teaching sequence to follow, teachers plan to suit their children’s interests, current events and their own teaching style.
Science is taught weekly for up to two hours but is embedded into other subjects where appropriate. Specialist vocabulary for each topic is taught, discussed and displayed so that children can articulate their thoughts confidently for themselves and for others whilst developing their spoken language. Chiseldon Primary School is equipped with many resources that allow for investigative, hands on sessions, as well as using the local environment to engage learners in the world around them. The children are encouraged to use these experiences to pose questions and, subsequently, plan investigations to extend their learning.
Formative assessment is used as the main tool for assessing the impact of Science as it allows for misconceptions and gaps to be addressed immediately rather than building on insecure scientific foundations. This could be in the form of labelled diagrams, written conclusions and verbal discussions with the children, as well as end of unit quizzes.
Impact:
The successful approach to the teaching of science at Chiseldon Primary School will result in a fun, engaging and high quality science education providing children with foundational concepts that they can take with them into the subsequent year group, key stage or school.
Children will: