Science
Science at Riverside Primary School
Science is very important at Riverside Primary School. We aim to enable children to develop an understanding of the world by using and applying scientific knowledge, skills and ideas as well as developing in all young people a lifelong curiosity and interest in the sciences.
Our teaching at Riverside Primary offers opportunities for children to:
- develop scientific knowledge and conceptual understanding.
- develop 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.
- be equipped with the scientific knowledge required to understand the uses and implications of Science, today and for the future.
- use a range of methods to communicate their scientific information and present it in a systematic, scientific manner, including I.C.T., diagrams, graphs and charts.
- develop a respect for the materials and equipment they handle with regard to their own, and other children’s safety.
- develop an enthusiasm and enjoyment of scientific learning and discovery.
Intention:
At Riverside Primary School, we want our children to develop a scientific mind, to ask questions and learn how to investigate the world around them. As with all of the subjects taught we want children to ask questions to further their learning and understanding.
We want our children to have gained a wide range of skills and understanding of all areas of Science; to be able to use Scientific vocabulary correctly; carry out and explain practical experiments and above all to ask questions about the world around them. Throughout the curriculum teachers try to engage children by making our Science creative, fun and educational which helps to develop a curiosity and love for Science from a young age.
Each year group learns different Scientific knowledge and skills which we believe will give children the confidence and motivation to continue to further develop their skills into the next stage of their education and life experiences.
Implementation:
Teachers strive to plan thought-provoking, interesting Science lessons to help develop a love for Science. The key skills and learning is taught through carefully planned topics. During each topic children will be taught the processes involved with experimental and investigative science. Where possible we make cross-curricular links to all curriculum areas and Maths, in particular, through data handling and measuring.
When planning for the science curriculum, we intend for children to have the opportunity, wherever possible, to learn through varied systematic investigations, leading to them being equipped for life to ask and answer scientific questions about the world around them. We introduce methods of enquiry and investigation to stimulate creative thought in a practical way. Children learn to ask scientific questions, learn new scientific vocabulary, record and interpret their findings and begin to appreciate how Science affects their lives both now and in the future.
As a school, we follow a knowledge, skills and understanding framework from which we ensure the progress and attainment of all children. As children progress through the school, the Science curriculum builds on their skills in working scientifically, as well as on their scientific knowledge, as they develop greater independence in planning and carrying out fair and comparative tests to answer a range of scientific questions. Our teachers understand the Science curriculum and its progressive nature. Because of this the children are able to build upon prior learning to deepen their understanding. The framework which we follow ensures that children have a varied, progressive and well-mapped-out science curriculum that provides the opportunity for progression across the full breadth of the science national curriculum for KS1 and KS2.
We follow the National Curriculum guidance for the topics taught to each year group and through continuous assessment we are able to ensure that all teaching helps to improve the children’s understanding of Science. Teachers plan enjoyable, engaging and inspiring practical activities that mean the children are working hands- on and are able to develop their independence through investigations. Our hands-on investigations also allow for our children to develop resilience and teamwork as they strive to achieve and make progress with their learning.
Below are the topics covered in each year group:
Key Stage 1
Seasonal Change, Plants, Animals including Humans, Everyday Materials and All living things and their habitats.
Key Stage 2
Plants, All Living Things, Animals including humans, Rocks, Light, Forces and Magnets, States of Matter, Sound, Electricity, Properties and changes of materials, Earth and Space, Evolution and Inheritance and Forces.
Impact:
Teacher’s continually assess children’s understanding and scientific enquiry skills. Lessons are planned to ensure all children make progress and achieve the intended outcomes of the National Curriculum. We use a system called O’Track to keep check of all of our children’s progress and attainment and use this to ensure all children are on track. Teachers use this tool to further plan to challenge and extend children and also use it to identify potential gaps in children’s understanding and plan accordingly.
Science is highly regarded in our school and the learning environment reflects this with science technical vocabulary displayed, spoken and used by all learners. It is an expectation that children will develop their use of scientific vocabulary and understanding even from the earliest ages.
The impact of our Science curriculum is that children feel confident in their science knowledge and enquiry skills and are excited about science. We hope that our children show that they are actively curious to learn more and see the relevance of what they learn in Science lessons to real-life situations and also the importance of Science in the real world.