Science Curriculum Statement
Intent
At Silvertrees Academy, we aim to teach science, based on the National Curriculum objectives through lessons which allow children to gain first hand experiences through practical lessons whilst working ‘scientifically’. We strive to offer our pupils’ a broad, balanced and differentiated curriculum that is suitable for the individual child. Our primary aim is to instil vocabulary for each topic taught that will stay with our pupils’ long after they leave Silvertrees. We also want to provide them with skills including observation, enquiry, investigation, analysis, evaluation and problem solving that they will not just use in science but many other areas of the curriculum too. By the end of Year 2, we would like our pupils’ to use these skills independently and continue to do so, on their journey into Year 3 and beyond. We believe that high quality Science lessons fire pupils’ curiosity and encourage them to want to learn more about the world that we live in. We will explore our own immediate environment along with looking at videos and reading materials about things that they cannot access first-hand.
The aims of teaching Science in our school are:
• To encourage pupils’ to be inquisitive about the world around them and develop a good understanding of scientific concepts and be able to relate these to their own environment;
• To have good knowledge and vocabulary relating to plants, animals, habitats and seasons and understand the processes that occur within these areas;
• To develop in children the skills of observation, enquiry, investigation, analysis, evaluation and problem solving;
Implementation
Our subject content in science is taught in line with the National Curriculum programme of study. To ensure high quality science lessons are taught at Silvertrees, we have developed our own progression grids so that children are continually building on prior knowledge but also learning new skills and vocabulary throughout their science journey. All our members of staff are given in depth training about our curriculum and how it should be taught so that high standards are maintained from Early Years through to Key Stage 1.
At the beginning of each topic, children will be asked what they already know and what they would like to know by the end of the topic. At the end of the topic, we revisit this so that staff and children can see how their learning has moved on. In each class, a ‘Learning Journey’ board is displayed for children to refer back to for key vocabulary and prior learning. Our pupils’ work is recorded in their ‘Learning Journey’ books, along-side other subject areas to ensure a holistic approach, though it is not a requirement to record each lesson. Sometimes this is written work, sometimes this will be pictures and post-it notes.
Our science lessons are taught once a week and will often fit in with the topic we are teaching, other times, they will be taught as stand-alone lessons.
Our medium-term plans set out what we are teaching, vocabulary we would like the children to learn and how these lessons will be taught. Teachers will plan lessons using the progression grids and also based on their own classes learning and interests to ensure that lessons are engaging for our pupils. Scientific enquiry is at the core of each lesson so that children can learn new knowledge and vocabulary at the same time as learning new skills. Teachers will continuously use formative assessment in order to keep track of their pupils’ learning and to plan next steps which will be different for every child.
Impact
Our science curriculum is practical, high quality, well thought out and is planned to demonstrate progression from EYFS through to Key Stage 1. We focus on progression of knowledge, skills and vocabulary which form part of the units of work.
We measure the impact of our science curriculum through the following methods: