ST MARY'S CATHOLIC PRIMARY SCHOOL

Science Curriculum                                                                                              

Our Mission Statement

Celebrating Excellence through our Faith and Learning

Intent:

At St Mary’s we believe that our children need a curriculum that allows them to become enthusiastic and engaged learners. The knowledge and skills taught in each subject are set out in The National Curriculum (Department for Education, 2014). We have set these out in a year-group based sequence of learning (see age-related expectations), which allows progression by building upon and revisiting knowledge and skills learnt in previous years.

When designing the Science curriculum, challenge and fluency are key aspects: we search for purposeful, meaningful opportunities to extend and deepen the pupils’ learning; we endeavour to make strong links with the diverse multi-cultural backgrounds of the pupils and staff, and we build upon the work of the local STEM industries, heritage sites and other places of interest. These are the keys that teach our pupils the foundations for understanding the world through Science.

We nurture our pupils to become Science learners who will ask thoughtful questions about our world, work scientifically within a range of rational methodologies and processes, analyse and present their conclusions using an appropriate mix of common and specialist language, and above all who will never cease in looking to deepen their understanding and knowledge about our amazing world.

Pupils will:

• have a deep and secure knowledge base of the Scientific ideas and concepts laid out in the National Curriculum
• be able to use and apply those knowledge and concepts to other areas of learning, in Science and beyond
• develop the necessary enquiry skills to work scientifically in a rational way
• understand that the primary function of working scientifically is to deepen scientific knowledge
• cultivate an extended specialist vocabulary around Science
• link their Scientific and Mathematical knowledge and skills in a meaningful and coherent way
• be able to explain their thinking in Science clearly to others, using words, with support where needed
• generate their own questions and ideas in a learning atmosphere where their own natural curiosity and creativity is valued highly
• value diversity in the world of Science by learning about Scientists from other countries and backgrounds

At St Mary’s we are passionate that a broad and balanced science education is the entitlement of all children, regardless of ethnic origin, gender, class, aptitude or disability. Enabling all children to access a scientific education should also encourage open-mindedness, self-assessment, perseverance and responsibility, which are skills they can apply in all walks of life.

Implementation:

Science is taught weekly or as a block of lessons every term. We follow the 2013 National Curriculum, with each unit covered in set terms in each year group, so that there is a progression of knowledge and skills, and learning is developed rather than being repeated. There is a whole school long term overview, and each unit is planned in detail in medium term plans. Learning is recorded in a variety of ways including:

• Individual Science books
• Working walls
• Whole Class Science books or floor books

Scientific enquiry skills (observing changes over a period of time, noticing patterns, grouping and classifying things, carrying out simple comparative tests, and finding things out using secondary sources of information) will be planned for by the teacher responsible and are delivered in class-based discrete sessions. These Working Scientifically objectives are identified in planning.

Scientific vocabulary and knowledge is outlined in Knowledge Organisers which form the core learning of each unit. These are published on our website for everyone to access, especially EAL families. Class teachers will identify any children who may benefit from pre-teaching of vocabulary, so that all children in the year group have equality of access to the Science lessons. Children are given opportunities to practise vocabulary pronunciation, to use it in context and to revisit regularly throughout the topic.

There is a big emphasis on proper oracy in Science at St Mary’s and children are taught to describe the how and what of Science in everyday language and also specialist, technical language. This specialist scientific language is carefully built up as children progress through the year groups, and multiple opportunities are made for children to use it accurately and precisely.

Every opportunity is taken to link our Science curriculum with the local area and our school community so that children see the real world links with their learning e.g. visits to Savages Wood local nature reserve, visits to the Aerospace Concorde Museum, class visits by parents who work in local STEM industries, Year 5 Bloodhound STEM project run with the help of graduates from Rolls Royce.

Teachers will judge where best to make links between Science and other subjects e.g. Materials – Little Pigs in English in Year 1; Rocks and Fossils links with History topics Stone Age in Year 3; etc. This will consolidate understanding of concepts and revisit key scientific vocabulary.

Impact:

Science learners at St Mary’s are enthusiastic about scientific learning about the world around them. They can recall prior scientific learning when required and use their linking skills to understand new learning, including linking Science concepts to other subject areas. They can speak confidently about science and can use appropriate scientific vocabulary in oral and written form, including uses of Science in the real world. They are increasingly able to carry out investigations independently, interpret their findings, and generate further questions based on their conclusions. They are successful in sharing their understanding of scientific concepts with others. All children consistently meet their own age-related expectations in Science.

The impact will be evaluated by:

Pupil achievement and progress

We measure pupil achievement – the acquisition of knowledge and skills and progress using a number of strategies, including:

• On-going informal teacher assessments, based on questioning in class, observations and pupil outcomes (which includes their work in books).
• Teachers complete Target Tracker data for Science 3 times a year.
• Scrutiny of progress in books and pupil conferencing with children.
• Learning walks.

Pupil attitudes

We measure pupil attitudes using a number of strategies, including:

• feedback during pupil conferencing
• attitudes and behaviour in lessons and activities across the curriculum, especially practical work
• the quality of the work produced, including taking pride in presentation
• engagement in extra-curricular opportunities like Science days and projects like Bloodhound.

Download more information:

• Long Term Planning