Curriculum
Science
Intent
At West Hill Primary, we intend to stimulate and excite pupils’ curiosity about phenomena and events in the world around them.
Science satisfies their curiosity with knowledge and can engage learners at many levels because it links direct practical experience with ideas.
Scientific method is about developing and evaluating explanations through experimental evidence and modelling. This is a spur to:
- problem-solving
- independent thinking
- metacognition
- critical and creative thought.
Through science, pupils understand how major scientific ideas contribute to technological change – impacting on industry, business and medicine and improving the quality of life. Pupils recognise the cultural significance of science and trace its worldwide development.
They learn to question and discuss science-based issues that may affect their own lives, the direction of society and the future of the world.
Implementation
Teachers create a positive attitude to science learning within their classrooms and reinforce an expectation that all children are capable of achieving high standards in science. Our whole school approach to the teaching and learning of science involves the following:
- Science will be taught in planned and arranged topic blocks by the class teacher, to have a project-based approach. This is a strategy to enable the achievement of a greater depth of knowledge.
- Through our planning, we involve problem-solving opportunities that allow children to find out for themselves. Children are encouraged to ask their own questions and be given opportunities to use their scientific skills and research to discover the answers. This curiosity is celebrated within the classroom. Planning involves teachers creating engaging lessons, often involving high-quality resources to aid understanding of conceptual knowledge. Teachers use precise questioning in class to test conceptual knowledge and skills, and assess children regularly to identify those with gaps in learning, so that all children keep up.
- We build upon the learning and skill development of the previous years. As the children’s knowledge and understanding increases, and they become more proficient in selecting, using scientific equipment, collating and interpreting results, they become increasingly confident in their growing ability to come to conclusions based on real evidence.
- Working Scientifically skills are embedded into lessons to ensure these skills are being developed throughout the children’s school career and new vocabulary and challenging concepts are introduced through direct teaching. This is developed through the years, in-keeping with the topics.
- Teachers demonstrate how to use scientific equipment, and the various Working Scientifically skills in order to embed scientific understanding. Teachers find opportunities to develop children’s understanding of their surroundings by accessing outdoor learning and workshops with experts from the wider community.
- Children are offered a wide range of extra-curricular activities, visits, trips and visitors to complement and broaden the curriculum. These are purposeful and link with the knowledge being taught in class.
- Regular enrichment events, such as Science Week, project days or class trips, allow all pupils to come off-timetable, to provide broader provision and the acquisition and application of knowledge and skills.
Science Statements of Progression EYFS to Y6
Science EYFS & KS1 Assessment and Statements of Progression of Skills
Science KS2 Assessment and Working Scientifically Statements of Progression of skills
Example Science End Points Y2 Animals, including humans
Example Science End Points Y5 Forces