Science

Leadership of Science at Grove Primary School.

Accountable: Miss Beth Jones

Responsible: Mrs Sarah Burgoyne

Curriculum Intent

At Grove Primary School we pride ourselves on delivering a Science curriculum which has been designed to increase our pupils' knowledge and understanding of the world in order to equip pupils with skills for future careers. Our Science curriculum has been designed with the intent to meet the objectives guided by the National Curriculum for Science (2014) and the belief that should be delivered in creative, active ways which allow learners to follow their own leads of learning. We have collaboratively created a top 5 key principles to good Science teaching which are at the heart of each Science lesson delivered.

We believe, Science plays a vital role in broadening our pupils' horizons and raising aspirations for future careers therefore we have strive to deliver a curriculum provides opportunities to enrich childrens learning . (Grove Primary Curriculum) We provide our pupils with a stimulating learning environment creative displays, extra curricular activities and opportunities to experience Science in action through trips and visitors where possible. Pupils work demonstrates science specific vocabulary.

To develop both knowledge and scientific enquiry skills, which will equip pupils for future careers. We believe Science should be delivered in creative, active ways which allow children to take ownership over their learning and provide wider links to other subjects within the curriculum. Where possible we enrich pupils learning through extra-curricular activities and opportunities to experience science in action through trips and visitors.

Our Science curriculum provides a balanced focus on both knowledge and enquiry skills, which are delivered to develop our learners independence as well as encouraging the ethos of learning through high quality questions. We have worked to develop our Science icon Dr Iprof using an acronym to break down the Science enquiry skills to scaffold childrens understanding.

Implementation:

Science is taught weekly and blocked into timetabled slots following a long term plan. The different topics of Science are spread across the year throughout year groups. Medium terms plans are used to home in on skills and knowledge and break these down into manageable chunks for our pupils. Teachers check on what children already know using retrieval techniques through all lessons so that children are able to make links to prior learning. Each Science lesson has a dual objective - a knowledge skill and a science enquiry skill allowing children to make links between what they know and investigating why, what and how?

Impact

The successful approach to the teaching of science at Grove Primary School will result in a fun, engaging, high quality Science education that provides children with the foundations for understanding the world that they can take with them once they complete their primary education.

Assessment is teacher based and formed using informal strategies such as verbal and written outcomes, retrieval tasks, quizzes and reflection tasks both half termly and in the moment AFL. The ongoing assessment of Science, allows for misconceptions and gaps to be addressed more immediately rather than building on insecure scientific foundations.

Children at Grove Primary School will:

lead their own paths of investigating
make links between their learning and real life context.
question ideas and reflect on knowledge.
understand scientific concepts and use the appropriate scientific vocabulary around this.
use and explain the different scientific enquiry skills (fair and comparative tests, pattern seek , identify and classify, research and observe over time)
Work collaboratively and practically to investigate and experiment.