Science

Intent

Our intent for Science at Eaton Valley, is to provide children with a Science curriculum which enables them to explore and discover the world around them. To achieve this, lessons are exciting, practical and children have hands on experiences that encourage curiosity and questioning – to deepen their understanding whilst working scientifically. Children are encouraged to question the word around them and become independent learners in exploring possible answers for their scientific based questions.Our aim is that these inspiring and challenging experiences help children secure and extend their scientific knowledge and vocabulary. At the heart of our progressive science curriculum is scientific investigation. Wherever possible we intend to deliver lessons where children learn through varied systematic investigations, leading to them being equipped for life to ask and answer scientific questions about the world around them. We believe that these opportunities will ensure that our children are confident, life-long learners, who can apply their knowledge and scientific enquiry skills to experiences outside of school.

Implementation

At Eaton Valley, we follow a long-term plan for Science which outlines the five/six topics that need to be taught in each year group. Alongside the long-term plan, we also have medium-planning which breaks down the unit into a clear, sequence of lessons building upon prior knowledge. The acquisition of key scientific knowledge is an integral part of our science lessons. Linked knowledge organisers enable children to learn and retain the important, useful and powerful vocabulary and knowledge contained within each unit. The progression of skills for working scientifically are developed through the year groups and scientific enquiry skills are of key importance within lessons.

Lessons at Eaton Valley will have:

Effective planning with clear learning outcomes, differentiated for all abilities of children including children with SEN and/or other disabilities.
At least two, 1-hour sessions of Science are taught every week.
Practical investigations are completed during each Scientific topic covered.
Children are taught a range of investigational skills during each topic, including, observations, measuring, predicting, controlling variables, critical evaluation of evidence, recording and interpreting different forms of evidence and data, posing questions, devising experiments, communication, explanations, describing, comparing and classification.
Different enquiry types taught throughout each Science unit.
Carefully structured first-hand experience, linked to the teaching of skills, knowledge, concepts, and attitudes. In this way, the children may be helped to make sense of their experiences and apply their learning to new situations.
Topics to link with famous scientists
New learning skills to be addressed and developed and success criteria will be shared with the children at the beginning and reviewed at the end of every lesson.
Prior knowledge to be built upon and added to each lesson

Impact

Overall, our Science curriculum ensures that children have:

Confidence and competence in the full range of practical skills, taking the initiative in, for example, planning and carrying out scientific investigations.
The ability to think independently and raise questions about working scientifically and the knowledge and skills that it brings.
Excellent scientific knowledge and understanding which is demonstrated in written and verbal explanations, solving challenging problems and reporting scientific findings.
Their scientific enquiry skills by taking part in a range of enquiry types.
High levels of originality, imagination or innovation in the application of skills.
The ability to undertake practical work in a variety of contexts, including fieldwork.
A passion for science and its application in past, present and future technologies.

We measure the impact of our Science curriculum through:

Evidence via book trawls and iPad data
Pupil conferencing across the school
Start and end of unit quizzes
Range of retention strategies used in lessons.
Assessment for learning during lessons
Data analysis using our school tracking system – Target Tracker. This is updated termly.