Science

Miss Gossington Science Coordinator

A high-quality science education provides the foundations for understanding the world through the specific disciplines of biology, chemistry and physics. Science has changed our lives and is vital to the world’s future prosperity, and all children should be taught essential aspects of the knowledge, methods, processes and uses of science. Through building up a body of key foundational knowledge and concepts, children should be encouraged to recognise the power of rational explanation and develop a sense of excitement and curiosity about natural phenomena. They should be encouraged to understand how science can be used to explain what is occurring, predict how things will behave, and analyse causes."

The National Curriculum

Intent

Through a wide range of purposeful, planned and structured learning opportunities from the moment children enter our school, they will acquire specific skills and subject knowledge to gain an understanding of scientific processes and an understanding of the purpose and implications of biology, chemistry and physics in every aspect of their daily life, stages of education and future life experiences.

Science in our school will harness the natural curiosity of children in the Early Years Foundation Stage, promote respect for living organisms and the natural environment and ensure that our children will acquire scientific knowledge, be able to retain what they know and recall what they’ve learnt in subsequent year groups, so becoming more knowledgeable and independent learners as they move through the key stages.

We ensure that appropriate resources and support are provided to allow all children to access and engage with learning this core subject. Communication and explanations of scientific vocabulary, knowledge and understanding will be accepted in a range of formats such as pictorial, models or verbal as well as written explanations to ensure that children of all abilities can participate fully with this curriculum. Enrichment opportunities within school will ensure all our children have experiences to make links between their learning and the world in which we live.

Implementation

Science is given the time needed to ensure that a positive learning attitude is created and expectations are reinforced, so that all children can achieve success in this core subject. The learning environment and teaching strategies help to keep all children engaged and inspire them to want to investigate the world around them, including the school grounds, through group discussions, presentations, demonstrations, videos, practical explanations, experimental work, as well as child-led instruction where this is possible and appropriate. Learning activities focus on developing our children to enquire, observe, locate sources of information, plan investigations, select appropriate equipment and use it safely, measure, record and analyse results and communicate findings.

During the learning opportunities our children build from prior learning and consolidate their skills, knowledge and understanding of fundamental principles within the areas of biology, chemistry and physics through a focus on practical science, allowing the children substantial opportunities to demonstrate working scientifically by generating scientific questions and collaborating with their peers.

They take ownership of their learning to make predictions, solve challenges and explain scientific phenomena using an enquiry-based approach to working scientifically and applying their learning to contexts that link with both their out of school experiences and within school.

We have planned the topics in science so that they build on prior learning opportunities for children of all abilities to develop their skills and knowledge in each unit and we also build progression into the science scheme of work, so that the children are increasingly challenged as they move up through the school.

Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS)

We recognise the importance of working scientifically in the EYFS as a key area of learning. There are three strands under Physical Development (Health and Self-Care), Understanding the World (The World) and Expressive Arts and Design (Exploring and Using Media and Materials). In both the outdoor and indoor learning areas there are opportunities for both child-led and teacher directed exploratory play. The children are encouraged to follow their curiosity, explore using their senses, observe, predict, investigate and be creative when following their natural inquisitiveness.

Key Stage One (KS1)

Within KS1 children recognise how to develop their skills, knowledge and understanding through a range of scientific investigations, where children work individually, in pairs or in groups. We cover scientific aspects relating to plants, animals (including humans), everyday materials, seasonal changes and living things (including their habitats) as prescribed within the National Curriculum’s Science programmes of study for key stages 1 and 2.

When children leave KS1 we expect them to be able to:

convey their knowledge of processes associated with biology, chemistry and physics
apply knowledge to understand the world around them
understand methods of scientific enquiries
know current uses of science
retain and recall scientific vocabulary.

Impact

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.

The teaching approach at Phoenix results in a fun and engaging curriculum that provides children with the foundations and knowledge of understanding the world.

All children will have:

A wider range 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.

Science Policy 2023

Science Policy 2023.pdf

Summer 2024

Science 🧬 lesson thinking about the suitability of materials. We investigated what kinds of materials would be best for building a wall. To test our theory we used a hairdryer to create 💨 an air flow

Class 4 have been learning about animals including humans. We used our sense of touch to guess the objects in the bag and we sorted animals into groups.

Class 6 setting up to show the process of germination.

Spring 2024

For British Science week Foundation have been experimenting on gingerbread men. We put them in different liquids and made a prediction about what would happen to them.

During Science Week Year 2 explored the question 'Does older mean faster?' We carried out a number of experiments such throwing a ball, running, writing, a number splat game and trying clothes on to test our predictions.

During Science week Year 1 experimented which boat would float the longest as the science theme was "time". We linked the learning back to our knowledge on materials and the children chose to make their boat using either paper, cardboard, foil or plastic.

Year 2 class 6 learning about food chains needed for survival.

Class 4 have been learning all about plants this term. Take a look at the photographs to see what we have been finding out.

Autumn

In Year 1 the children have been learning about Seasonal Changes from Summer to Autumn. They have looked at weather symbols and compared the weather in Summer and Autumn. They measured the temperature using thermometers and looked at the different clothes worn in Summer and Autumn. The children went into Mrs Cassidy's garden to look for signs of Autumn and they also looked how daylight changes.