Science

Intent

We believe that science should stimulate and excite our pupils’ curiosity about phenomena and events in the world around them. It should make them eager to ‘find answers,’ by experimenting and seeking new knowledge.

Pupils are encouraged to think “like a scientist” by building on their natural curiosity for the world around them. Children are equipped to develop their own scientific questions and explore these through scientific inquiry: predicting, investigating and drawing conclusions. Within each topic, we have a focus on famous scientists (both current and past) where children learn that that not all scientists wear lab coats and that there is wide variety of careers available in Science. As well as developing key foundational scientific knowledge, we aim to inspire the scientists of tomorrow by teaching children the importance of topics that currently affect the world around us, such as sustainability and climate change

Pupils should be able to describe associated processes and key characteristics in common language, but they should also be familiar with, and use, technical terminology accurately and precisely. We view Science as a predominantly ‘active’ subject, and aim to strike an appropriate balance between the practical experience of experimentation, and the necessity to carefully record observations and draw conclusions to be able to work scientifically.

Implementation

The Science curriculum has been planned to incorporate all of the elements of our intent. In using the Cusp Curriculum to support our planning, we have ensured that the children cover a variety of skills and knowledge throughout their time here that complement each other without being repetitive. Using these as building blocks, we have developed exciting lessons that give children the knowledge and understanding they need to move forward with this subject..

Impact

The impact of our Science Curriculum is that our learners are equipped with the scientific skills and knowledge that will enable them to be ready for the secondary curriculum and for life as an adult in the world outside the classroom. Children will be able to demonstrate their ability to interpret scientific thinking and suggest ways in which they might explore a scientific principle. Children’s learning is assessed in every lesson by teachers asking probing questions and by their use of scientific vocabulary when answering and writing conclusions about scientific investigations they have carried out.