Our Science Lead is Mrs. Rowse

Intent

At St Edward’s Catholic Primary School, our intent for Science is for our children: 

• to enjoy Science through lessons that are engaging and fun.
• to ask questions about their world by building on their natural curiosity.
• to develop their scientific knowledge and find answers through first-hand experience and practical investigations.
• to become equipped with the scientific knowledge required to help take their learning further.
• to have access to the language and vocabulary of science.
• to develop their Science capital to enhance their understanding of the world.

Implementation

Science is taught throughout the school in weekly lessons and is delivered by class teachers.  The school follows the National Curriculum which covers 28 units of study carefully mapped across our academic year with a focus on different enquiry and working scientifically skills woven throughout. Each of the units shows progression in the key scientific knowledge and concepts required from EYFS to Year 6. We encourage our staff to use multiple sources to enhance the lessons in order to meet the needs of the children. We explicitly teach scientific vocabulary to be used when studying a particular area of Science, a list of the scientists who are working, or have worked, in that particular area of Science and practical activities to support child-led learning.

EYFS

In Early Years, children engage in scientific activities through their study and acquirement of Understanding the World (UW). Reception pupils follow the Early Years Curriculum for UW and are assessed against the EEXAT criteria for age-expected learning.

Key Stage 1

The principal focus of Science teaching in Key Stage 1 is to enable pupils to experience and observe phenomena, looking more closely at the natural and humanly-constructed world around them. During years 1 and 2, pupils will be taught to use the following practical scientific methods, processes and skills through the teaching of the programme of study content:

asking simple questions and recognising that they can be answered in different ways.

observing closely, using simple equipment.

  performing simple tests.

identifying and classifying.

using their observations and ideas to suggest answers to questions.

gathering and recording data to help in answering questions.

These skills will be taught through the following topics:

• Plants.                                                                                                                     
• Animals including humans.                                                                                                      
• Everyday materials.                                                                                                                                   
• Seasonal changes (ongoing topic throughout the year).                                                                        
• Living things and their habitats.                                                                                                                
• Uses of everyday materials.

Lower Key Stage 2

The principal focus of Science teaching in years 3 and 4 is to enable pupils to broaden their scientific view of the world around them. They will do this through:
 

setting up simple practical enquiries, comparative and fair tests.

making systematic and careful observations and, where appropriate, taking accurate measurements using standard units and a range of equipment, including thermometers and data loggers.

gathering, recording, classifying and presenting data in a variety of ways to help answer questions.

recording findings using simple scientific language, drawings, labelled diagrams, keys, bar charts and tables.

reporting on findings from enquiries, including oral and written explanations, displays or presentations of results and conclusions.

using results to draw simple conclusions, make predictions for new values, suggest improvements and raise further questions.

identifying differences, similarities or changes related to simple scientific ideas and processes.

using straightforward scientific evidence to answer questions or to support their findings. 

These skills will be taught through the following topics:

• Plants,
• Animals including humans,
• Everyday materials,
• Rocks,
• Light,
• Forces and magnets,
• Living things and their habitats,
• Electricity,
• Sound, and
• States of matter.

Upper Key Stage 2

The principal focus of Science teaching in Upper Key Stage 2 is to enable pupils to develop a deeper understanding of a wide range of scientific ideas. They will do this through:
 

planning different types of scientific enquiries to answer questions, including recognising and controlling variables where necessary.

taking measurements, using a range of scientific equipment with increasing accuracy and precision and taking repeat readings when appropriate.

recording data and results of increasing complexity using scientific diagrams and labels, classification keys, tables, scatter graphs, bar graphs and line graphs.

using test results to make predictions to set up further comparative and fair tests.

reporting and presenting findings from enquiries, including conclusions, causal relationships and explanations of and degree of trust in results, in oral and written forms such as displays and other presentations.

identifying scientific evidence that has been used to support or refute ideas or arguments. 

These will be taught through the following topics:

• Living things and their habitats                                                                                                           
• Animals including humans                                                                                 
• Properties and changes of materials                                                                                    
• Earth and Space   
• Forces                                                                                                    
• Evolution and Inheritance                                                                                                         
• Light                                                                                                                               
• Electricity

All children at St. Edward's will be involved in a variety of structured activities and in more open-ended investigative work during Science learning, including:

• activities to develop good observational skills.
• practical activities using measuring instruments which will develop their ability to read scales accurately.
• structured activities to develop understanding of a scientific concept and open-ended investigations.
• recording their ideas and learning using cross-curricular skills, including but not limited to English writing and mathematical graphing.
• the recording method will usually be chosen by the child to showcase their own understanding at a challenging level for themselves.

Progress is monitored by the Senior Leadership Team and Science Subject Leader through observations and book looks to ensure consistency, progression, coverage and a balance between teacher-led and child-led practical activities; there will also be moderation within and across year groups.

Progression Documents

To help you understand the progression and learning journey that our children go on, please see below for our Knowledge Organisers and Progression of Skills documents.

Impact

The children at St. Edward's are confident scientists who can talk about the investigations that they have undertaken. We have Science Ambassadors across the Key Stage 2 classes who actively support the leadership and learning of this core subject. Throughout the academic year, pupils are exposed to enriching events, including: British Science Week, Star-Gazing, Science Fairs, Science Assemblies and ad-hoc events such as a Science photography and Science reading competitions. Parents are encouraged to support their children through open-door sessions, generating huge excitement among staff, children and parents alike. Pupils enjoy talking about Science and show a good understanding of the concepts that they have learnt; this is reflected through Pupil Voice conversations and high numbers of pupil participation in events. 

Science Achievements

 Primary Science Quality Mark - Outreach Level

We are delighted to announce that we have recently received our PSQM Outreach Award which recognises the efforts and achievements that have been made in order to improve the quality of our Science provision, in school and beyond.

What the PSQM Assessors said about our school:

• We have child-centred approach that raises aspirations
• We have been dedicated to improving Science and inspiring future scientists
• Our children have such an enthusiasm for Science that it is a delight to see.