Science

Science at Cam Woodfield Junior School

Intent

Our Science curriculum is designed to inspire and encourage children to develop a sense of enquiry and curiosity of the world by encouraging them to take an active role in their learning, through questioning and planning investigations (see our vision and values). We aim to provide them with a secure understanding of the world around them through acquiring specific skills and knowledge to help them to: think scientifically; learn about famous scientists and their theories, and have an understanding of scientific processes. We also aim to help all children develop a deeper respect, appreciation and care for the natural world and its phenomena.

Through practical and first hand experiences, we ensure that all children develop their knowledge of the science contained within the programmes of study of the National Curriculum. Scientific concepts of Biology, Physics and Chemistry are taught in accordance to the National Curriculum year group objectives, and a scientific overview for each year group is followed to ensure that all units are taught in a progressive structure, and there are opportunities to revisit key units in later year groups. Within a Science cycle, children will revisit prior learning of a unit with planned ‘retrieval of knowledge’ opportunities, helping them to build their sticky knowledge of a concept. This enables children to progress their Science knowledge and enjoyment of a topic, by knowing more, remembering more and being able to do more.

Specific scientific vocabulary and symbols are also embedded into the lessons and are progressive throughout the year groups to help the children to learn a bank of words that they can apply to their understanding of a concept.

At Cam Woodfield Junior School, working scientifically skills are an integral part of the Science curriculum that are embedded into each unit the children study and these skills are revisited and developed each year to ensure progression. We ensure the pupils are taught the skills required to independently complete each stage of an investigation, as well as understanding and planning for the five enquiry skills. This supports children to independently plan, act out, record and evaluate their own experiments and investigations. This further helps pupils to gain a greater understanding of the concepts and knowledge that they are learning in Science.

Implementation

At Cam Woodfield Junior School, Science is taught consistently every week linked to the year group theme. Teachers use the curriculum overview objectives to form their planning, as well as ensuring that they have included at least one opportunity for an investigation per unit. When planning an investigation, teachers follow the investigation cycle by selecting an enquiry focus, which suits the objectives for the specific concept, and a skill to focus on when planning and carrying out the investigation. As a school, we use the acronym of PARE (plan, act, record and evaluate) for the skills required to carry out an investigation.

In ensuring high standards of teaching and learning in Science at Cam Woodfield Junior School, we implement a curriculum that is progressive throughout the whole school with children building their own sticky knowledge of a concept, as well as promoting Science within the school and wider community.

These include:

• Adapting lessons to match all pupils’ needs to ensure they achieve and are challenged in their Science learning, as well as using a range of activities and ways to record their understanding.
• Where possible, Science is linked to year group themes to help children link their Scientific learning to real life applications.
• Teachers plan to suit their children’s interests, current events, their own teaching style, the use of any support staff and the resources available.
• Trips and visits from external providers and link schools are actively encouraged, as well as a yearly Science day to further promote Science within the school.
• Children have opportunities to be actively involved in promoting Science within the school with Science ambassadors who represent each class and lead events and competitions.
• Opportunities for outdoor learning through Science is planned for across the year groups to promote an interest in the local environment.
• Making cross-curricular links between Science and other subjects. Opportunities for learning Science concepts in other lessons are also planned for where possible.
• Science awards are given out by each teacher once a term, to celebrate scientific achievements.  

External providers further support the implementation of the school’s policy. In particular, we have established links with the local secondary schools to support the school by providing resources, assemblies, trips to use their laboratories and events. These providers include:

• Rednock Secondary school Science department
• Marling School Sciene department
• STEM
• STEM KIDS
• Stroud Association of schools Network

We also communicate effectively with the local infant school to ensure consistency and progression across the schools from reception to year six.

Impact

Science teaching at Cam Woodfield Junior school is planned carefully to ensure progression in learning for all children, as well as helping children foster an inquisitive and considerate mind towards their world.

If children are secure in the objectives within their year group, they are considered to be working at age related expectations. We assess and monitor the children’s understanding through our school online data system, Insight, where the children’s understanding of a learning objective is RAG rated. Within our school, we use teacher judgements, alongside elicitations and other formative assessments to record our assessments of a child’s understanding in Science. ASE exemplifications of ARE in Science are also used to help teachers to form their judgements when assessing work produced.

All children will have:

• A wider variety of skills linked to both scientific knowledge and understanding, and scientific enquiry/investigative skills.
• Demonstrate that they have built upon prior learning, and they can apply their understanding to a range of contexts within Science and real life applications
• A richer vocabulary, which will enable to articulate their understanding of taught concepts and actively take part in discussions.
• High aspirations and a sense of enquiry where children are posing questions to investigate and discuss.
• A secure understanding of the world in which they live in.
• Demonstrate that they have a secure understanding of the working scientifically skills to work independently to plan and carry out each stage and type of investigation.
• An appreciation and care for their natural world.

 In addition, we measure the impact of our curriculum through the following methods:

• An analysis of the objectives achieved and the percentage of children achieving ARE within their year group
• Moderation events within the school to demonstrate the progression across the year groups
• Pupil discussions and conferencing about their learning and Science within the school
• Stakeholder conferencing and surveys with staff and parents.
• Tracking and analysis of end of unit assessment tests