Science
Science at St. Gregory's
Intent
At St Gregory's ,we aim to provide opportunities for all children to deepen their understanding about their world through the delivery of an enquiry based Science curriculum that evokes curiosity and excitement. We specifically teach the disciplines of physics, biology and chemistry whilst supporting our Catholic ethos and British Values. Our curriculum ensures the progression of skills and supports cumulative learning, carefully building upon and developing children's metacognitive learning strategies by vocabulary rich teaching. We aim to spark curiosity in our children's minds through our Science curriculum. In our science lessons, we provide children with opportunities to explore and investigate scientific concepts through memorable experiences to ensure that 'sticky knowledge' stays with them throughout their journey through school. This enables prior knowledge to be built upon by our children, so that they make good progress.
We aim for children to...
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
Be equipped with the scientific knowledge required to understand the uses and implications of science, today and for the future. (National Curriculum, 2014]
Implementation
At St Gregory's, we follow statutory guidance from the National Curriculum, 2014, to inform our planning. We provide a progressive science curriculum that is accessible to all children using models and hands on investigations, in all year groups. Each learning sequence is carefully planned so children are taught the relevant scientific enquiry method: observing over time, pattern finding, identifying, classifying and grouping, comparative and fair testing and researching using secondary sources. Understanding vocabulary is a key element to our science provision, and teachers carefully model scientific vocabulary, using word walls to support pupil understanding.
Science is taught discreetly, however links are made to other subject areas creating meaningful links to cross-curricular learning. We want our children to make these links so they become increasingly aware of the strong connection science has across the curriculum. We use peer assessment where children work together to evaluate each other's work and ongoing formative assessment for learning by all teaching staff allowing for the addressing of misconceptions. Scientific work is recorded in ways appropriate to the children and their individual needs.
Teachers use scientific equipment in lessons and ensure that the children are aware of how to use this equipment and given opportunities to use this equipment for themselves by working scientifically. Working scientifically skills are embedded into the experiences we offer to our children through our curriculum.
Impact
Children at St Gregory's benefit from fun, engaging and appropriately challenging science lessons, underpinned by a progressive curriculum. This provides them with the foundations of understanding the world and inspires them to take up a role in the STEM industry as a career.
Pupil voice will be used as a means of assessing the effectiveness of our approach to teaching science.
Click here to view the National Curriculum for Science in KS1 and KS2:
Science in Action at St Gregory's
