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St Andrew's Primary School

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Science

At St Andrew's Science is led by Mr Ford. He works with the rest of the STEM team to ensure we have exciting and enquiring science lessons.  

"I have always had a passion for finding out how things work and develop. Thinking about how big the world around us seems and yet how little it is in terms of the vastness of space creates a great wonder and love for discovery. As Science lead, seeing how inquisitive and wonderous the children are during science lessons, makes me want to ensure that we continue to inspire and nurture their scientific enquiry.  

To me, Science is important to primary school because it helps children understand the world around them. It encourages curiosity and a sense of wonder as students learn about nature, animals, plants, and everyday objects. By exploring scientific concepts, children develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills that are essential for their future learning. Additionally, science lessons should inspire creativity and a love for discovery, helping young learners ask questions and seek answers. It is our role as teachers that we continue to do this to ensure the children reach their full scientific potential."

Mr Ford - Science Leader   

Intent

At St Andrew’s our intent for science is to ensure children understand scientific facts and processes related to ourselves and the world around us and are confident in explaining how and why things happen scientifically, using appropriate scientific language.  

We aim to produce scientists that are courageous and feel safe in taking a risk by providing an inclusive environment, so that they can reach their full potential through experiencing science in a variety of ways across the curriculum and within the wider world. We aim to do this by providing opportunities for children to experience science in the world around us, including in the local area. 

We believe our science curriculum will prepare our children by building science skills an knowledge year on year through a varied and inspiring curriculum. 

Implementation

Science is taught throughout the school in weekly lessons and is delivered by class teachers. The school follows the Developing Experts Scheme of Work which covers units of study linked to the National Curriculum and supports teachers with their lesson planning. Each of the units shows progression in the key scientific knowledge and concepts required from Year 1 to Year 6. Other sources may also be used to enhance the lessons in order to meet the needs of the children. The Developing Experts Scheme of Work contains the most appropriate scientific vocabulary to be used when studying a particular area of science, a list of the scientists/experts who are working, or have worked, in that particular area of science and practical activities to support the children's learning.

Where possible, links are made to other subjects (for example links to PSHE and PE, where children are taught about the importance of healthy living and Geography where the geographical side of seasons and climate is taught.)

The science curriculum follows the year by year progression of knowledge and skills as set out in the National Curriculum.

Existing knowledge is checked at the beginning of each topic, to ensure that the children are ready for the next steps in their learning. This ensures that teaching is informed by the children’s starting points and that it takes account of pupil voice, incorporating children’s interests.

We ensure that the Working Scientifically skills are built-on and developed throughout children’s time at the school so that they can apply their knowledge of science when using equipment, conducting experiments, building arguments and explaining concepts confidently as well as continuing to ask questions and be curious about their surroundings. Working Scientifically skills are embedded into lessons and new vocabulary and challenging concepts are introduced through direct teaching. Teachers demonstrate how to use scientific equipment, and the various Working Scientifically skills in order to embed scientific understanding.

Teachers create a positive attitude to science learning within their classrooms and reinforce an expectation that all children are capable of achieving high standards in science. Our whole school approach to the teaching and learning of science involves the following;

  • Science is taught in planned and arranged topic blocks by the class teacher, to have a project-based approach. This is a strategy to enable the achievement of a greater depth of knowledge.
  • Through our planning, we involve problem solving opportunities that allow children to find out for themselves. Children are encouraged to ask their own questions and be given opportunities to use their scientific skills and research to discover the answers. This curiosity is celebrated within the classroom. Planning involves teachers creating engaging lessons, often involving high-quality resources to aid understanding of conceptual knowledge. Teachers use precise questioning in class to test conceptual knowledge and skills and assess children regularly to identify those children with gaps in learning, so that all children keep up.
  • We build upon the learning and skill development of the previous years. As the children’s knowledge and understanding increases, and they become more proficient in selecting, using scientific equipment, collating and interpreting results, they become increasingly confident in their growing ability to come to conclusions based on real evidence.
  • Teachers demonstrate how to use scientific equipment, and the various Working Scientifically skills in order to embed scientific understanding. Teachers find opportunities to develop children’s understanding of their surroundings by accessing outdoor learning and workshops with experts.
  • Children are offered a wide range of extra-curricular activities, visits, trips and visitors to complement and broaden the curriculum. These are purposeful and link with the knowledge being taught in class.
  • Regular events, such as Science Week or project days, such as Eco Day, allow all pupils to come off-timetable, to provide broader provision and the acquisition and application of knowledge and skills. These events often involve families and the wider community.

EYFS

In Early Years, children engage in scientific activities through their study and acquirement of Understanding the World (UTW). Reception pupils follow the Early Years Curriculum for UTW and are assessed initially against Development Matters criteria, moving to the Early Years Profile towards the end of their Reception year.

Key Stage 1

The principal focus of science teaching in Key Stage 1 is to enable pupils to experience and observe phenomena, looking more closely at the natural and humanly-constructed world around them. During years 1 and 2, pupils should be taught to use the following practical scientific methods, processes and skills through the teaching of the programme of study content:

  • Asking simple questions and recognising that they can be answered in different ways
  • Observing closely, using simple equipment
  • Performing simple tests
  • Identifying and classifying
  • Using their observations and ideas to suggest answers to questions
  • Gathering and recording data to help in answering questions

Lower Key Stage 2

The principal focus of science teaching in years 3 and 4 is to enable pupils to broaden their scientific view of the world around them. They should do this through:
 

  • Setting up simple practical enquiries, comparative and fair tests
  • Making systematic and careful observations and, where appropriate, taking accurate measurements using standard units, using a range of equipment, including thermometers and data loggers
  • Gathering, recording, classifying and presenting data in a variety of ways to help in answering questions
  • Recording findings using simple scientific language, drawings, labelled diagrams, keys, bar charts, and tables
  • Reporting on findings from enquiries, including oral and written explanations, displays or presentations of results and conclusions
  • Using results to draw simple conclusions, make predictions for new values, suggest improvements and raise further questions
  • Identifying differences, similarities or changes related to simple scientific ideas and processes
  • Using straightforward scientific evidence to answer questions or to support their findings

Upper Key Stage 2

The principal focus of science teaching in upper Key Stage 2 is to enable pupils to develop a deeper understanding of a wide range of scientific ideas. They should do this through:
 

  • Planning different types of scientific enquiries to answer questions, including recognising and controlling variables where necessary
  • Taking measurements, using a range of scientific equipment, with increasing accuracy and precision, taking repeat readings when appropriate
  • Recording data and results of increasing complexity using scientific diagrams and labels, classification keys, tables, scatter graphs, bar and line graphs
  • Using test results to make predictions to set up further comparative and fair tests
  • Reporting and presenting findings from enquiries, including conclusions, causal relationships and explanations of and degree of trust in results, in oral and written forms such as displays and other presentations
  • Identifying scientific evidence that has been used to support or refute ideas or arguments

 

Impact

We want children to enjoy and value science and appreciate the range of skills it will provide them with. An essential part of children becoming scientists is promoting curiosity and encouraging them to ask questions. By the end of KS2, our expectation is that children will be able to develop their own questions, plan different types of enquiries to answer those questions and communicate their findings in a variety of ways. Children will understand that part of science is failing and that problem solving helps us to overcome these failures. Children will have a clear understanding of how scientists both past and present have contributed to society's understanding of the world around them. They will understand the role that science and other STEM subjects play in solving some of the key problems facing the world, such as climate change.

Using the Developing experts’ films they will learn the possibilities for careers in science and curriculum links to industry, ensuring that children have access to positive role models within the field of science from a range of science disciplines and Stem related industries. From this exposure to a range of different scientists from various backgrounds, all children feel they are scientists and capable of achieving.

Pupils are provided with a range of opportunities to showcase and communicate their ideas, research and findings.

We ensure that when assessing our pupils, evidence is drawn from a wide range of sources to inform the process including: interaction with pupils during discussions and related questioning, day to day observations, practical activities such as practical enquiries, the gathering, presentation and communication of fieldwork data and writing in different genres. The outcomes of each enquiry serve to inform the teacher’s developing picture of the knowledge and understanding of each pupil and to plan future learning accordingly. Regular scrutiny of books by the subject leader and SLT takes place through the year to check for progress.

Pupil voice is measured and demonstrates that pupils enjoy science, they are engaged and enthusiastic. They particularly enjoy experimenting, science trips and further opportunities to use observation skills.