Science Statement

Intent

At St Michael’s we aim to provide a high quality Science education embedded with meaningful, memorable learning experiences. We aim to give every child a broad and balanced Science curriculum which enables them to explore and discover what is around them, so that they have a deeper understanding of the world we live in.  We aim to prepare our children for life in an increasingly scientific and technological world today and in the future. Alongside creating resilient, life-long learners and global citizens.  We aim to develop confident children who achieve their potential. We aim to do this by developing their scientific knowledge starting with themselves, then the local environment, moving to the UK then the rest of the world and providing children opportunities to apply this knowledge in a range of activities. To achieve this, we provide exciting, practical hands on experiences that encourage curiosity and questioning. We have a coherently planned and sequenced curriculum which has been carefully designed and developed with the need of every child at the centre of what we do. We aim to promote a love of Science and inspire them to consider a future career in Science.

Implementation

Science topics are taught within each year group in accordance with the National Curriculum with opportunities for their learning to be applied to other curriculum areas.

• Topics are blocked to allow children to focus on developing their knowledge and skills, studying each topic in depth.
• Every year group will build upon the learning from prior year groups therefore developing depth of understanding and progression of skills.
• Teachers promote enjoyment and foster interest of the scientific disciplines; Biology, Chemistry and Physics.
• Children explore, question, predict, plan, carry out investigations and observations as well as conclude their findings.
• Children present their findings and learning using science specific language, observations and diagrams.
• In order to support children in their ability to ‘know more and remember more’ there are regular opportunities to review the learning taken place in previous topics as well as previous lessons.
• At the start of each topic children will review previous learning and will have the opportunity to share what they already know about a current topic.
• Effective CPD and standardisation opportunities are available to staff to ensure high levels of confidence and knowledge are maintained.
• To support teaching, teachers access a range of high quality resources referenced in our personalised curriculum
• Teachers use highly effective assessment for learning in each lesson to ensure misconceptions are highlighted and addressed.
• Effective modelling by teachers ensures that children are able to achieve their learning intention, with misconceptions addressed within it.
• Through using a range of assessment tools, differentiation is facilitated by teachers, to ensure that each pupil can access the Science curriculum.
• Children are given clear success criteria in order to achieve the learning intention with differing elements of independence.
• Pupils are regularly given the opportunity for self or peer assessment, which will then be used to inform planning, preparation, differentiation and address misconceptions within that lesson, or for the next lesson.
• Cross-curricular links are planned for, with other subjects such as Maths, History, DT and Computing allowing all pupils to build on and link prior learning.

Impact

Our pupils will have:

• A wider variety of skills linked to both scientific knowledge and understanding, and scientific enquiry/investigative skills.
• Meaningful, memorable learning experiences that will last a lifetime
• An understanding of their local area, science related industry and careers.
• A richer vocabulary which will enable to articulate their understanding of taught concepts.
• High aspirations, which will see them through to further study, work and a successful adult life

The implementation of our personalised Science curriculum was recognised during our recent PSQM award.

For additional information, please see the link below for the Primary Science National Curriculum.

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/425618/PRIMARY_national_curriculum_-_Science.pdf