Science
"The important thing is to never stop questioning."
Albert Einstein
Science Week 2024 "Time for Science"
Intent
At Kerr Mackie Primary School, we believe that science lessons should be:
- Practical and challenging
- Investigative and exploratory
- Cross-curricular and memorable
- and always inspire curiosity
To be super scientists, we need to develop:
- Independence
- Oracy skills, to speculate and enquire
- Resilience and perseverance
Science teaching at Kerr Mackie Primary school aims to give all children a strong understanding of the world around them whilst acquiring specific skills and knowledge to help them to think scientifically, to gain an understanding of scientific processes and an understanding of the use and implications of science, today and for the future.
At Kerr Mackie Primary School, scientific enquiry skills are embedded during each topic the children study and these topics are revisited and developed throughout their time at school. Topics, such as plants, are taught in EYFS, Key Stage One and studied again in further detail throughout Key Stage Two. This model allowed children to build upon their prior knowledge and increases their enthusiasm for the topics whilst embedding this procedural knowledge into the long-term memory.
All children are encouraged to develop and use a range of skills including observations, planning and investigations, as well as being encourage to question the world around them and become independent learners in exploring possible answers for their scientific based questions. Specialist vocabulary for topics is taught and built up, and effective questioning to communicate ideas is encouraged. Concepts taught should be reinforced by focusing on the key features of scientific enquiry, so that pupils learn to use a variety of approaches to answer relevant scientific questions.
Implementation
In ensuring high standards of teaching and learning in Science, we implement a curriculum that is progressive right from Nursery through to Year Six. Our curriculum is designed to help our children acquire a growing understanding of the nature, processes and methods of scientific ideas.
- Teachers complete a medium-term plan for each scientific topic, outlining the knowledge, skills and vocabulary that should be covered in each lesson.
- Teachers and children have access to key knowledge and vocabulary through topic specific knowledge organisers. These are used to inform planning and as a reference point for children on working walls in classrooms.
- Children will use a range of resources to develop their knowledge and understanding that is integral to their learning and develop their understanding of working scientifically.
- Teaching and learning should plan for practical investigative opportunities within Science lessons.
- Children will reflect on previous learning and cross-curricular links will be made wherever possible.
- Children will be able to build on prior knowledge and link ideas together, enabling them to question and become enquiry based learners.
- To ensure full coverage of the National Curriculum, Science is taught through discrete units and lessons.
- Where applicable Science will be linked to class topics and other curriculum subjects.
- Children are strongly encouraged to use specific topic related vocabulary.
- Children are provided with regular opportunities to develop strategies for questioning and thinking.
- In our school we have a clear monitoring process which is kept up to date and works towards our school improvement plan.
- Regular monitoring show that our children understand and apply key scientific principles within their work.
- Attainment is assessed each half term through related topic assessment tasks.
Lessons are always led through the five types of scientific enquiry below...
Impact
- Children will enjoy and be enthusiastic about Science in our school.
- There will be a clear progression of children’s work and teachers’ expectations in our school.
- Most children will achieve age related expectations in Science at the end of their cohort year.
- Children will retain knowledge that is pertinent to Science with a real life context.
- Children will be able to question ideas and reflect on knowledge.
- Children will work collaboratively and practically to investigate and experiment.
- Children will be able to explain the process they have taken and be able to reason scientifically.
- Children’s work shows a range of topics and evidence of the curriculum for all Science topics
Science Long Term Plan
Kerr Mackie Science Subject Organisers
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Science Knowledge Organisers |
Kerr Mackie Progression in Science
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Progression in Science |
Science in Action