Science
At Padstow School, our children are SCIENTISTS! We want our children to love science. We want them to have no limits to their ambitions and to grow up wanting to be astronauts, forensic scientists, toxicologists or microbiologists. We want our children to remember their science lessons in our school, to cherish these memories and embrace the scientific opportunities they are presented with!
To achieve this, it involves exciting, practical hands-on experiences that encourage curiosity and questioning. Stimulating and challenging experiences will help every child to secure and extend their scientific knowledge and vocabulary, as well as promoting a love and thirst for learning. We want to equip our children with not only the minimum statutory requirements of the Science National Curriculum but to prepare them for the opportunities, responsibilities and experiences of later life.
At Padstow School, Science topics are taught within each year group in accordance with the National Curriculum.
• Topics are blocked to allow children to focus on developing their knowledge and skills, studying each topic in depth.
• Every year group will build upon the learning from prior year groups therefore developing depth of understanding and progression of skills.
• Teachers promote enjoyment and foster interest of the scientific disciplines; Biology, Chemistry and Physics.
• Children explore, question, predict, plan, carry out investigations and observations as well as use their findings to draw conclusions.
• Children present their findings and learning using science specific language, observations and diagrams.
• In order to support children in their ability to ‘know more and remember more’, there are regular opportunities to review the learning from in previous topics as well as previous lessons.
Intent
Science teaching at Padstow School aims to give all children a strong understanding of the world around them whilst acquiring specific skills and knowledge to help them to think scientifically, to gain an understanding of scientific processes and also an understanding of the uses and implications of science, today and for the future.
Our aim for all pupils is to develop a lifelong curiosity and interest in the sciences. All children are encouraged to develop and use a range of skills including observation, planning and investigation, as well as being encouraged to question the world around them and become independent learners in exploring possible answers for their scientific based questions. Specialist vocabulary for topics is taught and built up, and the use of effective questioning to communicate ideas is encouraged. Concepts taught are reinforced by focusing on the key features of scientific enquiry, so that pupils learn to use a variety of approaches to answer relevant scientific questions.
Implementation
The science lead from Padstow School has worked with colleagues across the Aspire Academy Trust Partnership to create a long term, subject specific plan that shows clear progression of knowledge and skills from EYFS through to Year 6.
For each theme, from Year 1, class teachers share key questions to focus pupils learning and allow a consistent approach across the school. Teacher assessment is measured against the key knowledge and skills and other forms of assessment are used, such as the use of end of unit visual displays showcasing the pupils’ knowledge and understanding.
Challenge questions create opportunities for pupils to apply their learning and educational visits and visiting experts are planned to enhance the learning experience.
