Science

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 should be encouraged to recognise the power of rational explanation and develop a sense of excitement and curiosity about natural phenomena. They should be encouraged to understand how science can be used to explain what is occurring, predict how things will behave, and analyse causes.

The National Curriculum for Science aims to ensure that all pupils:

Develop scientific knowledge and conceptual understanding through the specific disciplines of biology, chemistry and physics.
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.
Are equipped with the scientific knowledge required to understand the uses and implications of science, today and for the future.

Intent – What do we want children to learn?

In the Hollesley and Waldringfield Partnership we use Cornerstones Curriculum. We have a themed topic each term, driven by the wonderful opportunities presented through a specific focus subject area which is supported through our literary texts and our writing curriculum. It is our intention that all pupils, irrelevant of needs, make sense of their world through opportunities to explore, observe and find out about:

Life Processes and Living Things
Materials and their Properties
Physical Processes

and are also given ample opportunities to work scientifically.

Through science we aim to support this philosophy by:

Providing a sequence of knowledge and concepts that develop secure understanding to progress to the next stage.
Building up an extended specialist vocabulary.
Applying their mathematical knowledge to their understanding of science, including collecting, presenting and analysing data.
Using a “hands on” active approach which sparks children’s and teacher’s enthusiasm and interest and deepens their understanding.

Implementation – How are we going to achieve our intent?

Science units are planned through Cornerstones Curriculum (Curriculum Map on Curriculum Page). We teach in mixed age classes, with the two-year groups, in each class studying the same theme. Each class in each school teaches the same theme. This gives opportunities for sharing of planning and ideas by class teachers across the two schools. Teaching of Science is taught by the class teacher as a standalone lesson and through cross-curricular links in other subject areas, such as Geography, Maths and English. In the Hollesley and Waldringfield Partnership we know that children learn best when the curriculum is well sequenced to enable revisiting of core knowledge, skills and understanding to deepen conceptual awareness before demanding application across the whole curriculum. Please see the Science Progression of Skills document which outline how the key skills are developed, revisited, assessed and built upon during EYFS to Year 6. In the Hollesley and Waldringfield Partnership we believe that children learn best when they are inspired by a real purpose. Medium term planning is based around key questions to help consolidate children’s learning.

Impact – What will it look like when we have achieved our intent?

There are hundreds of ways we can demonstrate the excellent impact our Science curriculum design has on our pupils. Here are some examples: 1. The Year 1 and 2 children learnt about different materials and their properties and then investigated which material would be best for a particular item. In Year 5 and 6 the children learnt about electricity and then used this knowledge to make a range of circuits.