Science Curriculum

Intent

At Priorswood Primary School, we treat each child as an individual, helping them to develop into courageous citizens who are able to communicate and collaborate well. We also have ambitious expectations of our pupils academically and strive to help them achieve in all areas.  We accomplish this by providing a curriculum that achieves excellence through inspiring curiosity and developing passion and talents.

Statement of Implementation

The Scientific area of learning is concerned with increasing pupils’ knowledge and understanding of our world, and with developing skills associated with Science as a process of enquiry. It will develop the natural curiosity of the child, encourage respect for living organisms and the physical environment and provide opportunities for critical evaluation of evidence.

At Priorswood Primary School, we use Curriculum Maestro which is aligned with the aims of the National Curriculum.  Our Science teaching offers opportunities for children to:

• develop scientific knowledge and conceptual understanding through the specific disciplines of Biology, Chemistry and Physics;

• develop understanding of the nature, processes and methods of Science through different types of science enquiries that help them to answer scientific questions about the world around them;

• be equipped with the scientific knowledge required to understand the uses and implications of Science, today and for the future.
• develop the essential scientific enquiry skills to deepen their scientific knowledge.
• Use a range of methods to communicate their scientific information and present it in a systematic, scientific manner, including I.C.T., diagrams, graphs and charts.
• Develop a respect for the materials and equipment they handle with regard to their own, and other children’s safety.
• Develop an enthusiasm and enjoyment of scientific learning and discovery.

The Priorswood Curriculum will provide a structure and skill development for the science curriculum being taught throughout the school, which is now linked, where possible, to projects which will provide a creative scheme of work, which reflects a balanced programme of study.  Where it is not linked it is taught discretely ending with an investigation.

Children are taught either through a cross-curricular topic which has science as one of its drivers or during half termly science days.

We endeavour to ensure that the Science curriculum we provide will give children the confidence and motivation to continue to further develop their skills into the next stage of their education and life experiences.

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 either in planned and arranged topic blocks by the class teacher. This is a strategy to enable the achievement of a greater depth of knowledge or as discrete units.
• We endeavour to make links to the wider world through visitors in to school who work in different fields of science (this is done in partnership with Primary Futures) and by visits out.
• 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 children 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.
• Pupils are encouraged to reflect on how they learn in Science and use this to develop transferable skills.

Statement of Impact

The successful approach at Priorswood Primary results in a fun, engaging, high-quality science education, that provides children with the foundations 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. So much of science lends itself to outdoor learning and so we provide children with opportunities to experience this. 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 such as the STEM association. Pupil voice is used to further develop the Science curriculum, through questioning of pupil’s views and attitudes to Science to support the children’s enjoyment of science and to motivate learners.