Science

Science Curriculum Intent Statement

Intent

At Mill Lane Primary School, it is our intention to provide a high-quality science education that provides children with the foundations they need to recognise the importance of science in every aspect of daily life. We believe that the key scientific skills are essential in many areas and have embedded them into our wider curriculum areas.  We want to encourage our young scientists to explore, question and develop their own lines of enquiry.  Our curriculum will enable children to become enquiry-based learners collaborating through researching, investigating and evaluating experiences.  It will encourage respect for living things and for the environment arounds them.

Teachers will ensure that all children are exposed to high quality teaching and learning experiences. These will hook the children’s interest, enabling them to develop a sense of excitement and curiosity about the world around them. They will be encouraged to ask questions and work scientifically to further their conceptual understanding and scientific knowledge.

Children will be encouraged to understand how science can be used to explain what is occurring, predict how things will behave, and analyse causes. It will provide opportunities for the critical evaluation of evidence and rational explanation of scientific phenomena as well as opportunity to apply their mathematical knowledge to their understanding of science, including collecting, presenting and analysing data. Children will be immersed in key scientific vocabulary, which supports in the acquisition of scientific knowledge and understanding.

All children will be provided with a broad and balanced science curriculum which reflects the equality and diversity policies and practice in school.

Implementation

At Mill Lane Primary School, we follow the National Curriculum for science and have carefully mapped out the objectives to ensure skills and knowledge are built on progressively.  Each unit begins with a hook for learning, developing a sense of excitement and curiosity about the real world and our community. We use tasks from Explorify, STEM and PLAN Asessment to create engaging activities.  Teachers check on what children already know and then invite children to think of their own questions.  Children will be able to build on prior knowledge and link ideas together, enabling them to question and become enquiry-based learners.  The children at Mill Lane Primary School are encouraged to develop their own lines of enquiry and think about what they want to test and how they want to test it.  Children are also asked to review their learning at the end of each topic.

Our curriculum provides children with the opportunity progressively acquire a wealth of knowledge and information.  This is supported by the use of ‘sticky vocabulary and sticky knowledge’ which are displayed on science working walls.  Teachers regularly refer to this knowledge and key vocabulary with meanings so that it ‘sticks’.  This enables children to readily apply knowledge and vocabulary to their written, mathematical and verbal communication of skills.  The curriculum is designed to inspire the children to understand how and why things work and for them to want to make a difference in the world. 

In the EYFS we understand that science begins with children’s very first acts of exploration. We ensure that we provide a stimulating and engaging environment (both indoors and outdoors) which encourages children’s scientific enquiry.  The teachers in the EYFS develop children’s understanding of the world and trigger curiosity through the use of open-ended questioning.

Science is taught in topics, discreetly throughout Key stage 1 and 2. Teachers are familiar with previous and subsequent year groups’ content, which enables them to link to prior learning and build on previous knowledge. They are also aware of where a unit of work fits in across the curriculum – we believe this is essential in ensuring key knowledge is taught and assessed to maintain progression through the curriculum.

Teachers aim to nurture a love for the natural world, excitement for future possibilities in science and provide opportunities for creative investigations and problem solving. They develop children’s curiosity and inspire them to pursue scientific enquiry. The science curriculum at our school provides opportunities to develop children’s understanding of science within the wider world and career opportunities within our area. We aim to do this through exploring and investigating within our local community, and through links with York University’s Challenging Children in Industry programme.

The children in our nurture class are taught using their own personalised curriculum.  They access a hands-on curriculum that follows the thread of the whole school planning.  Their work is differentiated following assessments using PIVATs and personal assessments. 

Impact

The successful approach to the teaching of science will result in a fun, engaging, high quality science education, that provides children with the foundations for understanding the world that they can take with them once they complete their primary education.

Children at our school will demonstrate a love of science work and an interest in further study and work in this field and modelled through class discussions and pupil voice.  They will retain knowledge that is pertinent to science with a real-life context and be able to question ideas and reflect on knowledge.  Children’s investigation evidence in books and on Evidence Me will demonstrate a high love of mathematical skills through their work, organising, recording and interpreting results, as well as, being able to articulate their understanding of scientific concepts and be able to reason scientifically using rich language linked to science.  They will work collaboratively and practically to investigate and experiment using their LORIC skills.