Science
Science
Curriculum Intent
At Oulton First School, our science curriculum is designed to offer all children the opportunity to:
*Develop scientific knowledge and conceptual understanding in all science lessons.
*Develop understanding of the nature, processes and methods of science through different types of enquiries that help them to answer scientific questions about the world around them.
*Be equipped with the scientific knowledge required to understand the uses and implications of science, today and for the future.
*Develop the essential scientific enquiry skills to deepen their scientific knowledge.
*Use a range of methods to communicate their scientific information and present it in a systematic, scientific manner, including computing skills, diagrams, graphs and charts.
*Develop a respect for the materials and equipment they handle with regard to their own, and other children’s safety.
*Develop an enthusiasm and enjoyment of scientific learning and discovery.
At Oulton First School, the teaching of science reflects the importance of science in our daily lives. As science is one of the core subjects taught in schools, we give the teaching and learning of science the prominence it requires.
The scientific area of learning is concerned with increasing pupils’ knowledge and understanding of our world, and with developing skills associated with science as a process of enquiry. It will develop the natural curiosity of the child, encourage respect for living things and the physical environment and provide opportunities for critical evaluation of evidence.
The National Curriculum is followed to provide a structure and the development of skills for the science curriculum being taught throughout the school. This is now linked, where possible, to other subjects across the school, reflecting a balanced programme of study.
At Oulton First School, children have weekly lessons in science throughout Key Stage 1 and 2, using programmes of study and a variety of resources. In Early Years, science is taught through learning about the world around them through child-initiated learning and structured play. Additional opportunities to explore science are provided through educational visits, using the local environment, as well as planned science themed days/weeks. Science is often linked with our Forest School sessions that each class has access to across the school year.
We endeavour to ensure that the science curriculum inspires children and will provide children with the confidence and motivation to continue to further develop their skills into the next stage of their education and life experiences.
Implementation
Our whole school approach to the teaching and learning of Science involves the following:
*Science is taught in planned and arranged topic blocks by the class teacher. This is a strategy to enable the achievement of a greater depth of knowledge.
*The Science Lead offers support to staff within our settings following termly updates to improve the teaching of Science.
*KS1 and KS2 classes have an interactive science learning wall. In EYFS, children have access to an investigation area planned through the continuous provision.
*Children are encouraged to explore and find out for themselves in science. Children are encouraged to ask their own questions and are given opportunities to use their scientific skills and research to discover the answers.
*Planning involves teachers creating engaging lessons, involving high-quality resources to aid understanding of conceptual knowledge.
*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.
*End of topic assessments are made in KS1 and KS2.
*We build upon the learning and skill development of the previous years and teachers are mindful of this when planning a new unit.
*“Working scientifically” skills are embedded into lessons to ensure these skills are being developed throughout the children’s school life and new vocabulary and challenging concepts are introduced through direct teaching.
*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.
In summary, teachers at Oulton First School 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.
Impact
As a result of the above, it is clear that children enjoy and are enthusiastic about science in our school. There is a clear progression of children’s work and teachers’ expectations and children are ready for their next steps in science learning as they move through school and onto their future setting. Children’s work shows a range of topics and evidence of the curriculum coverage for all science topics. As children work their way through the school, they become increasingly independent in science, selecting their own tools and materials, completing pupil lead investigations and choosing their own strategies for recording. Standards in science at the end of the key stages are good and issues arising are addressed effectively in school. Our SLT and governors are kept up to date with developments in the way science is run in our school with subject summaries and reports and action plans.
