SCIENCE

BORROW WOOD PRIMARY SCHOOL

Intent, Implementation and Impact Statement for Science

Intent

Science teaching at Borrow Wood 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.

We ensure practical investigations breathe life into our science learning, so it is more than a collection of taught facts. Through scientific enquiry, our children will be encouraged to develop resilience, become curious and creative thinkers and problem solvers. This links to our school ethos of CHOICE. We promote a joy and excitement for learning and want our children to have many WOW moments experiencing awe and wonder and be able to approach unknown and unexplainable phenomenon with an attitude of wanting to learn more.

Implementation

Teachers create a positive attitude to science learning within their classrooms and reinforce an expectation that all pupils are capable of achieving high standards in science.

In the Foundation Stage, children are taught science through the key areas of learning set out within the EYFS Statutory Framework, supported by Development Matters.

Through a broad range of teacher led, child-initiated and learning through continuous provision children will be taught to:

• Use their senses to investigate a range of objects and materials.
• Find out about, identify and observe the different features of living things, objects and worldly events.
• Look closely at similarities, differences, patterns and change.
• Ask questions about why things happen and how things work.
• Develop their communication and co-operation skills.
• Develop their vocabulary.
• Talk about their findings, sometimes recording them.
• Identify and find out about features of the place they live and in the natural world around them.

We follow the national curriculum for Science in Key Stages 1 and 2. Units of work are covered every half-term where weekly lessons enable pupils to build knowledge and skills over time. Knowledge matrices and exemplification from the Association of Science in Education support the planning and implementation of high quality units of work.

Key skills and progression for Science have been mapped across the school to ensure clear progression throughout the year groups from Foundation Stage to Year 6. Time is spent during lessons introducing and reinforcing age-appropriate scientific vocabulary.

Scientific Enquiry

Practical investigations are planned in each topic to provide children with the opportunity to work collaboratively, respecting the ideas of others, to apply their core knowledge, to deepen their understanding and make links with prior learning. Children solve problems, are encouraged to raise their own questions, undertake research using a variety of sources, test ideas, record findings, measure accurately and conclude what they have found out. We make use of the outdoor environment, including the school’s nature area where possible to further engage children and make learning meaningful.

Pre-Learning Tasks

Existing knowledge is checked at the beginning of each topic with a pre-learning task to identify children’s prior learning and any misconceptions. Assessment information is then used to ensure the sequence of lessons consolidates and builds on prior learning, misconceptions are addressed for all learners and age related objectives are mastered by the end of a topic.

Explorify Activities

Children regularly complete Explorify tasks during science sessions in order to develop and apply scientific skills across all learning and understand better how science works. Children are encouraged to explain their ideas to deepen scientific thinking.

Enrichment

The Science curriculum is further enriched with events planned throughout the year, including science days, visits linked to science learning and whole school science quizzes.

Impact

Attainment in science is measured and reported using teacher assessments at the end of EYFS, Key Stage 1 and 2. Additionally, science attainment is tracked through the use of half-termly topic knowledge assessments and termly working scientifically assessments using the statutory science programme of study statements. Regular pupil interviews demonstrate what the children have learnt and mastered from previously taught topics. The majority of children will achieve age related expectations in science at the end of their cohort year and all children will have made good progress from their starting points.  

By the time they leave Borrow Wood, our children will have:

• A wide variety of skills linked to both scientific knowledge and understanding and scientific enquiry/investigative skills
• A rich vocabulary which will enable them to articulate their understanding of taught concepts
• Confidence and a love of learning for all things science.