“The scientist is not a person who gives the right answers, he’s one who asks the right questions.” – Claude Levi-Strauss
SCIENCE: INTENT
We aspire to develop in all young people a lifelong curiosity and interest in the sciences where they have opportunities to learn through varied systematic investigations, leading to them being equipped for life to ask and answer scientific questions about the world around them.
As children progress through the year groups, they build on their skills in working scientifically, as well as on their scientific knowledge, as they develop greater independence in planning and carrying out fair and comparative tests to answer a range of scientific questions. Progression of key knowledge and vocabulary ensures that children build on their previous science understanding to understand and retain new information. Lessons begin with retrieval practice from previous units to ensure they consolidate and retain the science knowledge previously learned. Our science curriculum ensures that children have a varied, progressive, and well-mapped-out science curriculum that provides the opportunity for progression across the full breadth of the science national curriculum.
SCIENCE: IMPLEMENTATION
The acquisition of key scientific knowledge is an integral part of our science lessons. Retrieval starters enable children to learn and retain the important, useful and powerful vocabulary and knowledge contained within each unit. The progression of skills for working scientifically are developed through the year groups and scientific enquiry skills are of key importance within lessons. Each lesson has a clear focus. Scientific knowledge and enquiry skills are developed with increasing depth and challenge as children move through the year groups. They complete investigations and hands-on activities while gaining the scientific knowledge for each unit.
Key questions allow teachers to assess children's levels of understanding at various points in the lesson. They also enable opportunities to recap concepts where necessary. The sequence of lessons helps to embed scientific knowledge and skills, with each lesson building on previous learning. There is also the opportunity to regularly review and evaluate children's understanding. Activities are effectively adapted so that all children have an appropriate level of support and challenge. Schemes of work include adult guidance to ensure that teachers are equipped with secure scientific subject knowledge, enabling them to deliver high-quality teaching and learning opportunities while making them aware of possible scientific misconceptions.
SCIENCE: IMPACT
The successful approach at St Mary’s results in a fun, engaging, high-quality science education, that provides children with the foundations and knowledge for understanding the world. Our engagement with the local environment ensures that children learn through varied and first hand experiences of the world around them. Frequent, continuous and progressive learning outside the classroom is embedded throughout the science curriculum. Through various workshops, trips and interactions with experts and local charities, children have the understanding that science has changed our lives and that it is vital to the world’s future prosperity.
Children learn the possibilities for careers in science, as a result of our community links and connection with national agencies. They learn from and work with professionals, ensuring access to positive role models within the field of science from the immediate and wider local community. From this exposure to a range of different scientists from various backgrounds, all children feel they are scientists and capable of achieving. Children at St Mary’s enjoy science and this results in motivated learners with sound scientific understanding.