Science

Intent

At The Colleton Primary School, we believe children should acquire both scientific knowledge and skills in the specific areas of biology, chemistry and physics. Science provides children with a practical way to find reliable answers to questions that we may ask about the world around us. We encourage our children through the teaching of science to develop curiosity, co-operation, involvement, perseverance, respect and communication. We aim to provide our children with an enjoyable experience of science, making use of our outdoor space where possible, so they will develop a deep and lasting interest in the subject. This will enable them begin to appreciate the way science will affect their future on a local, national and global level.

We aim to:

enable children to develop knowledge, understanding, vocabulary and skills of a range of scientific concepts, through first-hand experience and careful observation in a scientifically stimulating environment.
develop children’s skills to observe and find patterns in observation, raise questions, experiment and investigate, reason systematically and logically, solve problems, sort, classify, plan, predict, draw conclusions and communicate.
develop a respect for living things and the environment and understand the effects of their actions on the environment.
provide our children with an enjoyable experience of science so they will develop a deep and lasting interest.
use a range of media, including technology, to extract, organise, present and communicate scientific information.
acquire practical skills and develop responsibility for their own health and safety, which enables them to perform investigations and undertake activities safely.

Implementation

Our science curriculum is taught as part of the school’s rolling programme to enable cross-curricular themes and links to be developed. To help children make connections and build on previous knowledge, the teaching of science has been linked through ‘Golden Threads’: Awe and wonder, Life (biology), Substances (chemistry), How the universe behaves (physics) and Diversity. These are revisited throughout their time at The Colleton.

Children learn through a combination of carefully planned practical experiences and investigations to work scientifically.

This begins in Foundation Stage where children start to develop their scientific understanding of the world. Through their play, they are encouraged to develop knowledge and skills that help them to make sense of the world. Knowledge is built on sequentially across our curriculum, developing scientific enquiry skills and understanding of vocabulary.

Scientific knowledge is revisited continually throughout the year whether as part of a science lesson or by making links in other subjects, creating connections and a bigger picture for the children.

This approach to the teaching of science at The Colleton results in a fun, engaging, high quality science lessons

Impact

We strive for our children to:

acquire the age appropriate related knowledge linked to the science curriculum
develop a wider variety of scientific skills linked scientific enquiry/investigative skills.
develop a richer vocabulary, which will enable the children to articulate their understanding of taught concepts and the word around them.
develop confidence, enjoyment and high aspirations which will see them through to the next stage of their education and throughout their life.

This is evident in the floor books each registration group create and displays. Teachers use continuously assess children’s progression of skills and knowledge during science lessons ensuring all children are supported and challenged appropriately to develop their scientific knowledge and skills and complete a summative assessment of subject knowledge and working scientifically skills at the end of every unit of work.

The subject leader regularly reviews the teaching and learning of science through discussion with pupils and colleagues during learning walks and by reviewing recorded learning.

Discovering how sound travels