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Sir Thomas Abney Primary School

Science

 

 ‘Mankind has made giant steps forward. However, what we know is really very, very little compared to what we still have to know.’ Fabiola Gianotti

INTENT

What do we teach? Why do we teach it?

At Sir Thomas Abney our Science curriculum is designed with the intent to spark curiosity, foster critical thinking, and develop a lifelong appreciation for the wonders of the world. We aim to provide our pupils with engaging and hands-on experiences that ignite their passion for Science, while also laying a solid foundation of scientific knowledge and skills. We strive to empower students to ask questions, make observations, and investigate the world around them, preparing them to become confident and curious individuals. 

We adhere to the National Curriculum and use Curriculum Maestro to support and deliver comprehensive science lessons in the three disciplines of science; biology, chemistry, and physics. Tailored to each year group, our science lessons are designed to build upon prior knowledge and for their understanding to be developed throughout their time at school. By revisiting key topics, we provide opportunities for students to reinforce their understanding.

The units that we teach are as follows: 

EYFS – The Foundation Stage programmes of study for Understanding of the World are in the EYFS Development Matters (link)

Year 1 – Seasonal Change, Animals Including humans, Plants and Materials

Year 2 – Animals including humans, Living things and their habitats, Uses of materials and plants 

Year 3 – Forces and magnets, Rocks, Plants, Animals including humans, and Light

Year 4- Animals including humans, Sound, States of Matter, Living things and their habitat and Electricity 

Year 5- Forces, Earth and Space, Living things and their habitat, Animals including humans and properties of materials. 

Year 6 - Animals including humans, Evolution and inheritance, Electricity, Living things and their habitats and Light.

We ensure that these topics are reinforced through scientific enquiry and that the ‘working scientifically’ skills are embedded within our curriculum. Pupils have opportunities to: 

  • ask questions
  • make predictions
  • plan how to carry out different investigations
  • take measurements
  • record data
  • present findings
  • answer questions using data
  • draw conclusions
  • evaluate their enquiry

By embedding scientific enquiry skills within our curriculum, it allows a broad and balanced science curriculum to be provided to all children at Sir Thomas Abney and empowers students to become confident, proficient, and curious learners.


IMPLEMENTATION

How do we teach science and how does this look in practice?

Our whole school approach to the teaching and learning of science involves the following:

  • Weekly Science Lessons: We integrate science lessons into our weekly timetable, giving students regular chances to engage with scientific ideas and skills.
  • Aligned with National Curriculum: Teachers follow the National Curriculum to build their medium term and weekly plans. 
  • Tailored Learning: We make sure to adapt our teaching to suit the abilities and needs of all our students, ensuring everyone gets a meaningful and challenging science education.
  • Assessment: 
  • Questioning throughout the lesson to gain knowledge of the pupils’ understanding.
  • Knowledge recall questions at the start of each lesson to see what they have remembered (prior knowledge).
  • Mini plenaries throughout each lesson to identify any misconceptions.
  • Online tracking tool used to assess pupils against National Curriculum outcomes which informs future planning. 
  •  Knowledge Organisers: At the start of each topic, children are given a knowledge organiser with key scientific vocabulary, topic information and useful diagrams to help them learn and remember key ideas.
  • Learning intention: Each lesson has a clearly stated learning intention that links to both the curriculum outcome and the working scientific skill.
  • Cross curricular links: We link science topics with other subjects making learning more interesting and connected.
  • Enrichment opportunities: We make science lessons even more exciting with trips and visits from experts, giving students real-life experiences that deepen their understanding and love of science.

With this approach, we aim to nurture a lifelong love of discovery and equip our students with the skills they need to thrive in an ever-changing world.

For more details, please also see our: Science Curriculum Overview; Science National Curriculum 

IMPACT

By the time our children leave our school:

The impact of our curriculum will enable our students to leave Sir Thomas Abney with the foundations of understanding the world around them. Our science curriculum is planned to demonstrate progression and allow all students to make good or better progress. This approach allows all children to:

  • Ask questions, think critically and evaluate the world around them.
  • Build on their prior knowledge.
  • Understand new concepts.
  • Use scientific vocabulary.
  • Work collaboratively.
  • Develop a love of learning.
  • Reason scientifically.
  • Confidently use a range of science equipment.






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