Science
At Woodlands Primary, science is taught following the National Curriculum 2014.
The 2014 National Curriculum states:
Purpose of Study
Our science curriculum is designed with the intent that each child at Woodlands Primary School will become competent scientific thinkers and investigators who will encounter awe and wonder through first-hand scientific investigative experiences and approaches, which activate learning for all children. With great emphasis on providing children with a high-quality science education that offers the foundations for understanding the world through the specific disciplines of biology, chemistry and physics. Creative pathways to learning are planned so that children can make links to prior learning and develop depth in key skills within Science that are rich, stimulating, challenging and real life with the aim of enabling children to master learning with skills, knowledge and experiences that will remain with them for the rest of their lives. We should all champion primary science and our intent is to make sure that every child has a positive experience of science throughout their primary school education.
Our Science curriculum is designed to allow each pupil to.
- Achieve the best possible standards and achievements, whatever their starting point.
- Has high levels of engagement, enjoyment and personal development in Science.
- Accesses a rich, broad and wondrous science curriculum that allows high levels of personalisation that plays to their strengths and develops specialisms.
- Connects and builds on prior knowledge leading to progression and depth
Aims
The national curriculum for science aims to ensure that all pupils:
- develop scientific knowledge and conceptual understanding through the specific disciplines of biology, chemistry and physics
- develop understanding of the nature, processes and methods of science through different types of science enquiries that help them to answer scientific questions about the world around them
- are equipped with the scientific knowledge required to understand the uses and implications of science, today and for the future.
Our curriculum is carefully designed to ensure key knowledge and skills progress in a logical and sequenced way, thus enabling pupils to revisit previously taught content and to build upon it year on year. We use carefully structured progression documents to ensure that substantive and disciplinary knowledge and skills are clearly outlined and sequenced, thus enabling the children to know and remember more, as they move through school.
Intent
At Woodlands, we aim to nurture children's natural curiosity about the world. We design scientific investigations and explorations to provide children with the fundamental experiences needed to develop a love for and a deep understanding of the natural world around them.
Implementation
Our Science curriculum is carefully sequenced to ensure a logical progression of knowledge and skills across the key stages. It adheres to the National Curriculum requirements, offering a comprehensive and balanced coverage of scientific disciplines. Each unit has clearly defined learning outcomes, aligned with age-appropriate scientific concepts and skills. Our Science curriculum is planned to allow for opportunities to revisit and embed previously taught knowledge and skills and apply these independently in other contexts. Practical work is central to our Science curriculum, enabling pupils to enhance their investigative skills and deepen their understanding. We regularly offer opportunities for hands-on experiments, investigations and observations, allowing pupils to formulate hypotheses, plan procedures and draw conclusions. Our Science lessons incorporate a variety of practical resources, such as equipment, models, ICT and children are able to partake in visits to Science and engineering museums. Both the teachers and the pupils assess their learning continuously throughout the lessons. The children are encouraged to reflect on their progress within each session and how they have been successful. At the end of each term, we use the national curriculum framework, alongside evidence of children’s work to assess their current progress that will, over time, show an informed judgement about the depth of learning and progress made.
Impact
Our engaging and high-quality science education lays the groundwork for children to understand the world, providing them with a solid foundation that they can build upon throughout their education. We want to empower our children so they understand they have the capability to change the world. Our curriculum will lead pupils to be enthusiastic Science learners and our hands on opportunities teach a range of skills such as perseverance, teamwork and resilience; all skills to apply to future learning and opportunities in life.
This is evidenced in a range of ways, including pupil voice, their work and their overwhelming enjoyment for Science. Additionally, at the end of every Science block, teachers use summative assessment to assess pupils’ progress so teachers can reflect on the progress of their pupils and adapt accordingly for future learning.
