Mrs Smith is the school's science leader. She works closely with The Ogden Trust and other local schools, and leads the school's Eco-Team. Science is a core subject in the Primary National Curriculum.

Purpose of study

A high-quality science education provides the foundations for understanding the world through the specific disciplines of biology, chemistry and physics. Science has changed our lives and is vital to the world’s future prosperity, and all pupils should be taught essential aspects of the knowledge, methods, processes and uses of science. Through building up a body of key foundational knowledge and concepts, pupils should be encouraged to recognise the power of rational explanation and develop a sense of excitement and curiosity about natural phenomena. They should be encouraged to understand how science can be used to explain what is occurring, predict how things will behave, and analyse causes.

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.

Scientific knowledge and conceptual understanding

The programmes of study describe a sequence of knowledge and concepts. While it is important that pupils make progress, it is also vitally important that they develop secure understanding of each key block of knowledge and concepts in order to progress to the next stage. Insecure, superficial understanding will not allow genuine progression: pupils may struggle at key points of transition (such as between primary and secondary school), build up serious misconceptions, and/or have significant difficulties in understanding higher-order content.

Pupils should be able to describe associated processes and key characteristics in common language, but they should also be familiar with, and use, technical terminology accurately and precisely. They should build up an extended specialist vocabulary. They should also apply their mathematical knowledge to their understanding of science, including collecting, presenting and analysing data. The social and economic implications of science are important but, generally, they are taught most appropriately within the wider school curriculum: teachers will wish to use different contexts to maximise their pupils’ engagement with and motivation to study science.

The nature, processes and methods of science

‘Working scientifically’ specifies the understanding of the nature, processes and methods of science for each year group. It should not be taught as a separate strand. These types of scientific enquiry should include: observing over time; pattern seeking; identifying, classifying and grouping; comparative and fair testing (controlled investigations); and researching using secondary sources. Pupils should seek answers to questions through collecting, analysing and presenting data.

Programmes of study

At Kingsland CE Primary School, children study the following scientific concepts:

Y1 – plants; animals, including humans; everyday materials; seasonal changes

Y2 – living things and their habitats; plants; animals, including humans; uses of everyday materials

Y3 – plants; animals including humans; rocks; light; forces and magnets

Y4 – living things and their habitats; animals, including humans; states of matter; sound; electricity

Y5 – living things and their habitats; animals, including humans; properties and changes of materials; earth and space; forces

Y6 – living things and their habitats; animals, including humans; evolution and inheritance; light; electricity

There is an element of flexibility when teaching these concepts due to mixed aged classes and ensuring strong cross curricular links with topics.

Teaching and Learning

• Science is taught to classes in weekly lessons. Teachers are encouraged to make lessons as practical as possible to allow children to discover and understand scientific concepts deeply for themselves.
• Close connections with the Ogden Trust and the science department at Earl Mortimer College allow for quality CPD for staff, as well as exciting learning opportunities for the children which they might not normally experience.
• The whole school takes part in an annual science week, which usually has a whole school theme. Previous themes have included bees, and water.