Science Curriculum

Intent

Our science curriculum aims to provide the foundations for understanding the world, whilst fostering curiosity and wonder within the children. Science aims to teach our children the skills, knowledge and understanding they need to question and understand concepts and phenomena that occur in the world around them and equips them with the motivation to seek explanations for these.

The national curriculum for science aims to ensure that all pupils:

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

are equipped with the scientific knowledge required to understand the uses and implications of science, today and for the future

We aim to motivate and inspire children through a curriculum that stimulates, engages and challenges all learners. Our curriculum aims to develop key scientific knowledge and concepts, whilst encouraging a sense of curiosity and wonder about the world around us.

Science at St Patrick’s is designed to provide the children with knowledge of scientific concepts and develop scientific skills in a purposeful way to ensure effective progression across all year groups. Children are taught specialist vocabulary for science units which is built upon as they go through school. Effective questioning is used to provide children with opportunities to share their ideas and their understanding of key scientific concepts.

Implementation

In Science, we implement an inclusive curriculum that meets the statutory requirements of the National Curriculum.

Our curriculum is well-planned and provides opportunities for links to be made with other areas of the curriculum, particularly maths to enable the children to apply their mathematical knowledge to enhance their understanding of Science.  Working scientifically skills are built into each topic, in order to embed scientific understanding and allow for a range of skills to be developed during the year.

At the beginning of each Science unit, children demonstrate their prior knowledge, which informs planning and teaching. A series of lessons are planned, with clear knowledge and skills -based learning objectives and subject-specific vocabulary, which is included on the subject planning support documents. Assessment of each topic is used to demonstrate progress in knowledge and understanding of key concepts. Teachers assess learning in science against knowledge-based and skill-based learning objectives.

Our curriculum is delivered through highly effective ‘quality first teaching’. Enrichment opportunities, including outdoor learning, visitors and educational visits, provide our children with rich experiences and enhance teaching, learning and knowledge.

Impact

Our well-planned Science curriculum ensures that children are given a fun, engaging, high-quality science education which provides children with essential knowledge, skills and concepts developing their understanding of the impact of science on daily life and the wider world.  Children will know more, remember more and understand more about the curriculum. Children retain prior-learning and explicitly make connections between what they have previously learned and what they are currently learning.

 All children will have:

 . A wider variety of skills linked to both scientific knowledge and understanding, and scientific enquiry/investigative skills

 . A richer vocabulary which will enable them to articulate their understanding of taught concepts

 . Confidence and a love of learning for all things science

What our pupils say about Science in our school. 

"Science is lots of finding out." Year 1 pupil

"I know lots about animals. If they eat meat they are a carnivore and in winter some animals hibernate." Year 1 pupil

"Science is fun because it is exciting and we learn new stuff.  I liked testing materials to see if they are waterproof." Year 2 pupil

"I love working in group in Science as we get to talk lots and learn special Science words." Year 3 pupil

"I enjoyed testing magnets." Year 3 pupil

"I like finding out about real scientists."  Year 6 pupil

"Science makes you think really hard." Year 6 pupil