Our Science subject lead is Miss Mawson.
Intent
The 2014 National Curriculum for Science aims to ensure that all children:
- develop scientific knowledge and conceptual understanding through focused lessons.
- develop an 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 from EYFS through to year 6.
- are equipped with the scientific skills required to understand the uses and implications of science, today and for the future. We understand that it is important for lessons to have a skills-based focus, and that the knowledge can be taught through this.
At Tow Law Millennium Primary School, we encourage children from Nursery to year 6 to be inquisitive throughout their time at the school and beyond. Our Science curriculum fosters a healthy curiosity in children about our universe and promotes respect for the living and non-living. We believe science encompasses the acquisition of knowledge, concepts, skills and positive attitudes. Throughout our curriculum, the children will acquire and develop the key knowledge that has been identified within each unit, as well as the application of scientific skills. We ensure that the Working Scientifically skills are built-on and developed throughout the children’s time at the school so that they can apply their knowledge of science when using equipment, conducting experiments, building arguments and explaining concepts confidently and continue to ask questions and be curious about their surroundings.
Implementation
The children come to school with a range of experiences and some of these are very limiting. To try to overcome these teachers create a positive attitude to science learning within their classrooms and reinforce an expectation that all children are capable of achieving high standards in science. Our whole school approach to the teaching and learning of science involves the following:
- Science will be taught through weekly lessons until the completion of the topic. This is a strategy to enable the achievement of a greater depth of knowledge.
- Through our planning, we involve problem solving opportunities that allow children to find out for themselves. Children are encouraged to ask their own questions and are given opportunities to use their scientific skills and research to discover the answers. This curiosity is celebrated within the classroom. Planning involves teachers creating engaging lessons. Teachers use precise questioning in class to test conceptual knowledge and skills, and assess children regularly to identify those children with gaps in learning, so that all children keep up.
- We build upon the learning and skill development of the previous years. As the children’s knowledge and understanding increases, they become more proficient in selecting, using scientific equipment, collating and interpreting results. Through this they become increasingly confident in their growing ability to come to conclusions based on real evidence.
- Working Scientifically skills are embedded into lessons to ensure these skills are being developed throughout the children’s school career and new vocabulary and challenging concepts are introduced through direct teaching. This is developed through the years, in-keeping with the topics.
- Teachers demonstrate how to use scientific equipment, and the various Working Scientifically skills in order to embed scientific understanding. Teachers find opportunities to develop children’s understanding of their surroundings by accessing outdoor learning and workshops with experts.
- To enable teachers to be fully prepared for the teaching of science they know they can come and enquire about CPD opportunities and they also support each other with their teaching of various topics within our curriculum.
Impact
The successful approach at Tow Law Millennium Primary School results in a fun, engaging, high-quality science education, that provides children with the foundations and knowledge for understanding the world. Our engagement with our local environment ensures that children learn through varied and first hand experiences of the world around them. Lessons which involve learning outside the classroom are embedded throughout the science curriculum. Through various workshops, trips, interactions with experts and local charities, children have the understanding that science has changed our lives and that it is vital to the world’s future prosperity. As part of our curriculum and our connection with the STEM association children learn the possibilities for careers in science. Children at Tow Law Millennium Primary School overwhelmingly enjoy science and this results in motivated learners with sound scientific understanding.
Please follow this link to view our curriculum policies.
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