Intent Implementation and Impact

Intent

At Ivington Primary and Pre-school we believe a high-quality science education provides the foundations for understanding the world through the specific disciplines of biology, chemistry and physics. Science has changed our lives and is vital to the world’s future prosperity, and all pupils should be taught essential aspects of the knowledge, methods, processes and uses of science. Through building up a body of key foundational knowledge and concepts, pupils are encouraged to recognise the power of rational explanation and develop a sense of excitement and curiosity about natural phenomena. They are encouraged to understand how science can be used to explain what is occurring, predict how things will behave, and analyse causes. We aim to provide a curriculum that will instil a thirst for knowledge and love of learning with a keenness for enquiry and asking questions. At Ivington Primary and Pre-school the science curriculum we offer is progressive, building on children’s prior knowledge and enabling a strong foundation for future learning. We aim to teach in revisited topics that allow children to review and evaluate their own learning. We intend to develop their scientific knowledge and conceptual understanding through the specific disciplines of biology, chemistry and physics. We want to develop their understanding of the nature, processes and methods of science through different types of science enquiries that help them to answer scientific questions about the world around them. We endeavour to equip our pupils with the scientific knowledge required to understand the uses and implications of science, today and for the future.

Implementation

We cover the 2014 National Curriculum in a progressive, cyclic programme. Lessons are taught weekly, with a focus on ‘working scientifically’ the children are encouraged to ask questions and make links with previous learning in order to create a deeper understanding. Teachers use the correct scientific terms and key vocabulary is displayed and used continually by pupils. Pupils are assisted in making their thinking clear, both to themselves and others, and teachers ensure that pupils build secure foundations by using discussion to probe and remedy their misconceptions.

We value individuality and the needs of all our children therefore we ensure learning opportunities are suitable to individual needs.

In EYFS Science is covered through activities linked to ‘Understanding of the World’. Equipment is used sensibly and responsibly.

Working closely with local schools we have established science days, events, fayres and exhibitions, which promotes science understanding and inspires children’s learning. We have excellent resources in school and access to a wide variety of loan boxes through our local partnership which the children use on a variety of occasions. We have regular science days and weeks of further enrichment, where we have employed others to widen our mind-sets and deepen our understanding. The links we have with the local primary schools further stimulates and enthuses science learning.

What a Science lesson looks like in our school:

• A variety of activities which take place inside and outside of the classroom to engage children about the world around them.
• Investigations/practical exploration with the children being able to plan, record, carry out and conclude their learning.
• Opportunities to work individually, in pairs or groups.
• A range of scientific resources to enable the children to carry out engaging
• experiments.
• Subject specific vocabulary which is focused upon within the first session of each topic and is then embedded within each lesson.
• Different aspect of Science are focused upon such as Biology, Chemistry or Physics
• Use of a range of media where possible to help the children to learn about a modern world.

Impact

At Ivington Primary and Pre-school our Science Curriculum is high quality, well thought out and is planned to demonstrate progression. Most children are deemed to be making good or better progress. We have developed a tracking system where teachers can record and monitor individuals learning  in order to ensure their planning is relevant and accessible. Through pupil voice activities and questionaries the children’s love of science and their positive learning situations, show how successful science is here. Positive areas for the subject. (What is working well in our schools?) All staff have a very secure understanding of the Science curriculum and endeavour to teach high quality science lessons. We are able to develop our curriculum extensively because our children are encouraged to be curious and ask questions. This means their motivation and enthusiasm for science is infectious.

By the end of Key Stage 1 pupils will:

• Experience and observe phenomena, looking more closely at the natural and humanly constructed world around them.
• Be encouraged to be curious and ask questions about what they notice.
• Be helped to develop their understanding of scientific ideas by using different types of scientific enquiry to answer their own questions, including observing changes over a period of time, noticing patterns, grouping and classifying things, carrying out simple comparative tests, and finding things out using secondary sources of information.
• Begin to use simple scientific language to talk about what they have found out and communicate their ideas to a range of audiences in a variety of ways.
• Carry out first-hand practical experiences.
• Use appropriate secondary sources, such as books, photographs and videos to support their learning
• Work scientifically
• Read and spell scientific vocabulary at a level consistent with their increasing word-reading and spelling knowledge at key stage 1.

By the end of Lower Key Stage 2 pupils will:

• Enable pupils to broaden their scientific view of the world around them.
• Explore, talk about, test and develop ideas about everyday phenomena and the relationships between living things and familiar environments, and by beginning to develop their ideas about functions, relationships and interactions.
• Ask their own questions about what they observe and make some decisions about which types of scientific enquiry are likely to be the best ways of answering them, including observing changes over time, noticing patterns, grouping and classifying things, carrying out simple comparative and fair tests and finding things out using secondary sources of information.
• Draw simple conclusions and use some scientific language, first, to talk about and, later, to write about what they have found out.
• Work scientifically.
• Read and spell scientific vocabulary correctly and with confidence, using their growing word-reading and spelling knowledge.

When Working Scientifically Lower Key Stage 2 pupils will:

• Ask relevant questions and use different types of scientific enquiries to answer them.
• Set up simple practical enquiries, comparative and fair tests.
• Make systematic and careful observations and, where appropriate, take accurate measurements using standard units, use a range of equipment, include thermometers and data loggers.
• Gather, record, classify and present data in a variety of ways to help in answering questions.
• Record findings use simple scientific language, draw, label diagrams, keys, bar charts, and tables.
• Report on findings from enquiries, include oral and written explanations, displays or presentations of results and conclusions.
• Use results to draw simple conclusions, make predictions for new values, suggest improvements and raise further questions.
• Identify differences, similarities or changes related to simple scientific ideas and processes.
• Use straightforward scientific evidence to answer questions or to support their findings.

By the end of Upper Key Stage 2 pupils will:

• Enable pupils to develop a deeper understanding of a wide range of scientific ideas.
• Explore and talk about their ideas; ask their own questions about scientific phenomena; and analyse functions, relationships and interactions more systematically.
• Encounter more abstract ideas and begin to recognise how these ideas help them to understand and predict how the world operates.
• Recognise that scientific ideas change and develop over time.
• Select the most appropriate ways to answer science questions using different types of scientific enquiry, including observing changes over different periods of time, noticing patterns, grouping and classifying things, carrying out comparative and fair tests and finding things out using a wide range of secondary sources of information.
• Draw conclusions based on their data and observations, use evidence to justify their ideas, and use their scientific knowledge and understanding to explain their findings.
• Read, spell and pronounce scientific vocabulary correctly.

When Working Scientifically Upper Key Stage 2 pupils will:

• Plan different types of scientific enquiries to answer questions, include recognise and control variables where necessary
• Take measurements, use a range of scientific equipment, with increasing accuracy and precision, taking repeat readings when appropriate
• Record data and results of increasing complexity using scientific diagrams and labels, classification keys, tables, scatter graphs, bar and line graphs
• Use test results to make predictions to set up further comparative and fair tests
• Report and present findings from enquiries, including conclusions, causal relationships and explanations of and a degree of trust in results, in oral and written forms such as displays and other presentations
• Identify scientific evidence that has been used to support or refute ideas or arguments

This is what you might typically see:

• Engaged learners
• Open and closed questioning
• Children posing their own questions and hypothesis for investigation
• Paired/group work
• Varied activities
• Practical investigations
• Children discussing, reflecting and sharing their learning

 This is how we know how well our pupils are doing:

• Marking and feedback
• Lesson planned based on work done in previous year groups to ensure children are progressing
•  Formative assessment through questioning during lessons and investigations
• Observations of children during investigation and exploration
• Photographic/video evidence
•  Assessment tracked at the end of each block of work

This is the impact of teaching:

• Confident children who can talk about their science lessons and discoveries they’ve made
• Children are able to use and explain the meaning of scientific vocabulary
• Children who can confidently explain what they have learnt
• Children who are prepared to take risks
• Children who enjoy science lessons