Linthwaite Ardron CE (VA) Junior and Infant School

INTENT

Science in our school is about developing children’s ideas and ways of working that enable them to make sense of the world in which they live through investigation, as well as using and applying process skills. Science is also a collaborative activity where ideas and suggestions are shared and investigated together. Through practical activities and team work, children experience and learn how to work together have mutual respect for one another and value social cohesion.

We believe that a broad and balanced science education is the entitlement of all children, regardless of ethnic origin, gender, class, aptitude or disability. Our aims in teaching science include:

• Preparing our children for life in an increasingly scientific and technological world.
• Fostering concern about, and active care for, our environment.
• Helping our children acquire a growing understanding of scientific ideas.
• Helping develop and extend our children’s scientific concept of their world.
• Developing our children’s understanding of the international and collaborative nature of science.

   

IMPLEMENTATION

Planning for science is a process in which all teaching staff are involved. Delivering a broad and balanced science education to our children is a core principle of our school. Science teaching in the school is about excellence and enjoyment. We adapt and extend the curriculum to match the unique circumstances of our school.

KS1 teachers teach science on average for a minimum of one hour each week.

KS2 teachers teach science on average for a minimum of two hours per week.

In KS1, a minimum of one third of lessons overall include practical scientific enquiry.

In KS2, a minimum of 50% of lessons overall include practical scientific enquiry.

The school ensures that a broad and balanced science curriculum is followed in which enquiry is at the heart of our children’s scientific learning by:

• Teaching science in ways that are imaginative, purposeful, well managed and enjoyable.
• Encouraging and supporting children to ask questions about the world and use scientific processes to try and answer them.
• Supporting children to make links between science and other subjects.

We have a tracking system to follow children’s progress. The school science coordinator monitors progress through the school by sampling children’s work at regular intervals. Children who are not succeeding, or children who demonstrate high ability in science, are identified and supported.

Assessment data is used to highlight areas where intervention or catch-up work is needed. Equally important is the continuous assessment of children’s work, much of which is informal and focused on both scientific knowledge and working scientifically. This assessment is used to inform teaching throughout the school. 

IMPACT

Children are involved in the process of self-improvement, recognising their achievements and acknowledging where they could improve. Activities during, and at the end of, each topic record achievement and celebrate success. 

Attitudes

• Encouraging the development of positive attitudes to science.
• Building on our children’s natural curiosity and developing a scientific approach to problems.
• Encouraging open-mindedness, self-assessment, perseverance and responsibility.
• Building our children’s self-confidence to enable them to work independently.
• Developing our children’s social skills to work cooperatively with others.
• Providing our children with an enjoyable experience of science, so that they will develop a deep and lasting interest and may be motivated to study science further.

Skills

• Giving our children an understanding of scientific processes.
• Helping our children to acquire practical scientific skills.
• Developing the skills of investigation - including observing, measuring, predicting, hypothesising, experimenting, communicating, interpreting, explaining and evaluating.
• Developing the use of scientific language, recording and techniques.
• Developing the use of ICT in investigating and recording.
• Enabling our children to become effective communicators of scientific ideas, facts and data.