Science

“Every brilliant experiment, like every great work of art, starts with an act of imagination.” – Jonah Lehrer

Intent

Science is a core part of every child’s education. The learning and teaching of science at St Paul’s aims to provide an opportunity for children to develop the knowledge, skills and understanding in science which are essential for further study and in adult life.  

The key aims for science at St Paul’s are:

• To instill a positive attitude and confidence in science which allows children to work collaboratively, express ideas and develop logical thinking through a process of enquiry.

• To develop children’s scientific vocabulary.

• Provide a curriculum for every child that progressively extends working scientifically skills and knowledge.

• To inspire and create awe and wonder

• To provide our children with first hand experiences and visits which enrich the science curriculum.

• Provide opportunities for children to apply scientific enquiry and investigative skills through experiments and practical lessons.

Implementation

Science is taught through carefully sequenced blocks throughout the academic year. The blocks are linked to the topics the year group is covering, this helps ensure the science learning is purposeful.  Our curriculum from Switched on Science (guided by the National Curriculum and our own progression of skills document) is designed to develop the children’s interest in science by ensuring the children understand the relevance of their learning to real life

These lessons provide opportunities for children to learn, practise and apply their learning, building scientists for the future. There is also a focus on the appropriate use of working scientifically skills, along with knowledge and understanding. These are progressed using the curriculum overviews created for each Key Stage.

Science is not a standalone lesson, rather it contributes too many aspects of learning throughout the primary curriculum. Opportunities will be sought to draw scientific experience out of a wide range of activities e.g. outdoor learning, which allow children to apply their knowledge and skills in other real life contexts.

At St Paul’s we aim to keep science purposeful with the bigger picture in mind.

Early Years Foundation Stage

The children develop an understanding of the world around them. They build the foundation skills needed for the science curriculum which follows in KS1 and KS2.

Key Stage 1

The children begin to develop the skills needed for working scientifically such as asking simple questions and performing simple tests. Alongside this they develop their specific subject knowledge in areas such as plants and animals including humans. They begin to develop the vocabulary needed for future science study.

Key Stage 2

The children build on the working scientifically skills and progress them to a more specific level, for example planning specific scientific enquiries to answer questions. They continue to develop their specific subject knowledge in more challenging areas such as evolution and inheritance in preparation for the secondary science curriculum.

Impact

The impact of our science curriculum is designed to ensure that children at St Paul’s are equipped with the working scientifically skills and knowledge that will enable them to be ready for the Key Stage 3 curriculum and subsequently life in the wide world. Our key aim is for children to develop an in- depth understanding of the world they live in and consequently become active members of society equipped with this knowledge.

“All the world is a laboratory to the inquiring mind.” - Martin Henry Fischer, Physician & Author