Intent
At Bookwell Primary School, we recognise the importance of science in every aspect of daily life and believe that science enables children to understand the everchanging world around them. Therefore, science teaching at our school aims to give children a strong understanding of the world around them whilst acquiring specific skills and knowledge to help them think scientifically. Furthermore, it aims for children to gain an understanding of scientific processes and the implications of science today and for the future. From entry in EYFS, children foster a healthy curiosity in the world, with investigation through play based activities. They also develop respect for the living and non-living. These key attributes are embedded in our pupils and carried forward to scientific subject specific learning. Scientific enquiry skills are embedded in each topic the children study and these topics are revisited and developed throughout their time at school . All children are encouraged to: develop and use a range of skills (including observations, planning and investigations), question the world around them and become independent learners in exploring possible answers for their scientific based questions. Science teaching at Bookwell builds knowledge and develops children’s understanding of the world through first-hand experience and exploration while building up an extended specialist vocabulary. We support children in spotting patterns, understanding what they have found out, talking about their learning and asking questions. We strive to provide an environment where children are willing to take risks when trying out their ideas and are given the opportunities to develop their scientific enquiry and conceptual understanding. Concepts taught are reinforced by focusing on the key features of scientific enquiry, so that pupils learn to use a variety of approaches to answer relevant scientific questions.
Implementation
The CUSP curriculum ensures full scientific coverage through teaching the specific disciplines of biology, chemistry and physics. Science is taught across each year group in modules that allow pupils to study key scientific understanding, skills and vocabulary in depth. Each module builds upon prior learning and is sequenced to aid the acquisition and retention of key scientific knowledge. Modules are accompanied by knowledge organisers which provide an overview of the key vocabulary, information and concepts pupils are expected to understand and retain. Pupils are further supported by a knowledge note which identifies the key information within a specific lesson. Cumulative quizzing is designed to help revisit and reinforce key scientific knowledge. Within each topic scientific enquiry and working scientifically opportunities are planned. Pupils will develop their skills as a scientist by asking questions and planning, carrying out experiments, collecting and analyzing data and subsequently drawing conclusions. Where possible, we provide first hand experiences with our local environment and educational trips to maximise pupil’s engagement and motivation.
Impact
The successful approach to the teaching of science at Bookwell School 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. The impact of our Science curriculum is measured through the monitoring cycle in school. This includes:
Lesson observations
Book monitoring
Learning walks
Discussions with class teachers
Discussions with pupils
Monitoring is used to measure whether:
Children enjoy and are enthusiastic about science in our school.
There is a clear progression of children’s work and teachers’ expectations in our school.
Children’s work shows a range of topics and evidence of the curriculum coverage for all science topics.
Children are becoming increasingly independent in science, selecting their own tools and materials, completing pupil led investigations and choosing their own strategies for recording.
All children are making progress, including EAL and SEND children.
Monitoring is also used to identify gaps in the curriculum that may need to be addressed across the school, or within individual year groups. Monitoring is an ongoing cycle, which is used productively to provide the best possible Science curriculum for our children.
EYFS/ Understanding the World – The Natural World- Science
The Early Years Foundation Stage Curriculum supports children’s understanding of Science through the planning and teaching of ‘Understanding the World.’ Children find out about objects, materials and living things using all of their senses looking at similarities, differences, patterns and change. The children are given opportunities to explore the world around them using their senses and it is these first hand experiences that enhance learning, encouraging children to observe, investigate, experiment and explore.
Enrichment & Cultural Capital
We aim to constantly improve our enrichment and cultural capital offering in Science. Currently, the subject is enhanced by the following:
Forest School
Strudda Bank Farm Visit
Wooly Bank Farm Visit
West Cumbria Rivers Trust fieldwork
Pet Encounters School Visit
Living Eggs
Science Day