Science

Quotes that guide us:

‘It is important to view knowledge as sort of a semantic tree – make sure you understand the fundamental principles, i.e. the trunk and big branches, before you get into the leaves/details or there is nothing for them to hang on to.’ Elon Musk

Why is it important to teach Science? (Intent)

At Discovery Multi Academy Trust we encourage all children to be inquisitive throughout their time at the school and beyond.  The Science curriculum fosters a healthy curiosity in children about our universe and promotes respect for the living and non-living things. Science encompasses the acquisition of knowledge, concepts, skills and positive attitudes.

Throughout the programmes of study, the children will acquire and develop the key knowledge that has been identified within each unit and across each year group.  The key knowledge identified by each year group is informed by the National Curriculum and builds towards identified phase ‘end points’ in accordance with NC expectations.  Key skills are also mapped for each year group and are progressive throughout the schools.  These too ensure systematic progression to identified skills end points which are in accordance with the Working Scientifically skills expectations of the national curriculum. 

The curriculum is designed to ensure that children are able to acquire key scientific knowledge through practical experiences; using equipment, conducting experiments, building arguments and explaining concepts confidently. 

The school’s approach to science takes account of each of the school’s own contexts, ensuring access to people with specialist expertise and places of scientific interest as part of the school’s commitment to learning outside the classroom.  Children are encouraged to ask questions and be curious about their surroundings and a love of science is nurtured through a whole school ethos and a varied science curriculum.

Key Concepts:

EYFS – exploring the natural world, seasons, materials, solar system, growing, life cycle of a butterfly

Year 1 – animals including humans, the body and senses, seasons, materials, plants and trees, comparing characteristics of animals (Kenyan Animals)

Year 2 – animals including humans, living things and habitats, plants and life cycles, materials and their properties, ocean habitats, food chains

Year 3 – materials and properties, rocks and fossils, dinosaurs, forces, light, plants and life cycles, animals including humans (skeletons and muscles)

Year 4 – water cycle, states of matter, irrigation, sound, digestive system, skeletal system, living things and their habitats, classification, circuits

Year 5 – sundials and water clocks, solar system, forces, living things and their habitats, classification and adaptation, environmental changes, life cycles (Amazon), testing temperature

Year 6 – light, electricity, circuits, evolution and inheritance, living things and their habitats, classification, animal adaptations, biomes, animals including humans (health and lifestyle), nutrients and water

Underpinning the knowledge are the following processes of science –

•         Asking questions
•         Designing experiments
•         Reasoning and arguing with scientific evidence
•         Analysing and interpreting data

Curriculum Design (Implementation)

Some of our key themes throughout the school year are Science based. We carry out the curriculum planning for Science in two phases, long-term and medium-term planning. The long-term plan maps the scientific topics studied in each term for each year group. The medium-term plans are based on the scientific topics listed on the long-term plan. They ensure an appropriate balance and distribution of work across each term. Planning is annotated by the class teacher and used for reference in future teaching. To ensure clear sequences of learning, staff have knowledge of the progression of teaching throughout the school. For example, Year 4 know that their class will have covered the skeletal system in Year 3, Term 4 in their topic ‘Farming for Food’. Vocabulary is a key focus and is identified for each topic. Retrieval techniques are used to embed vocabulary, and in the following term to ensure deeper learning and understanding.

Enquiry-based approaches enable pupils to enhance their scientific knowledge, understanding, skills and attitudes and further develop their curiosity about the world around them. Pupils have regular access to appropriate hands-on practical activities that: support the development of motor, manipulative and age-appropriate technical skills, underpin their understanding of key scientific concepts, encourage them to ask productive questions, explore and investigate possible answers and communicate their findings to others and provide opportunities for developing both independent learning and team working skills.

Science in Early Years is taught through the Understanding the World part of the Foundation Stage Curriculum. The strands link into to termly topics as well as crossing into other areas of the curriculum. Children are provided with hands on opportunities to investigate, observe, ask, and answer questions, become inquisitive and to further their knowledge and understanding of the world. All these skills help to prepare them for Science in KS1 and beyond.

There is a STEM room, based at Beechwood Primary Academy which can be used by all three schools within the MAT. Classes can book to use the room on a regular or individual lesson basis. It is a well-resourced room with suitable materials for all year groups and all areas of the curriculum. Replenishable resources, such as batteries can be ordered to support upcoming topics. This also includes resources to support the other subjects under the umbrella of STEM. There are links to BABCOCK and other local businesses who also support us with equipment for specific topics.

Knowledge Focused

Learning during the academic term is shared with parents in each of the schools e.g. through learning maps or journeys. These include the main aim of the term’s topic and how this is explored through each subject. This is also available to access on each of the school’s websites. Websites and books are also shared with parents to support learning and topic knowledge. Social media (school Facebook pages) regularly shows parents any Science learning that has taken place in school, within each year group.

What we do well as a Trust (Impact)

The Science Coordinators liaise across the MAT to build relationships between the schools and plan parallel activities, with guidance from the Trust Science Coordinator. The individual Science Coordinators signpost staff to any relevant courses, useful websites, and age-appropriate competitions.