“The important thing is not to stop questioning.” - Albert Einstein

 

The member of staff responsible for Science is Mr Middleton.

 

How Dovecotes Primary School’s Science Curriculum Promotes Our Core Values:

 

Be Creative - We want our children to come up with new ways of looking at the world by constantly asking, "What if...?"  and then going on to logically think through the consequences and problem solve.

 

Be Honest - We encourage pupils to be honest in the measuring, recording and reporting of findings, being appropriately sceptical of and adjusting their views based on evidence, and sharing their methods with others.

 

Be Kind - We provide opportunities for children to be kind and work collaboratively to plan and carry out scientific investigations and project work as part of a group. When working collaboratively, there is a focus upon communicating effectively. These experiences, whether successes or failures, will help build resilience. We teach children to respect their environment and allow time for them to explore and use their senses to realise what a wonderful world we live in.

 

Be Ambitious - We aim for children to aim high. They will learn about famous scientists throughout history up to the present day from different ethnicities, countries, genders and backgrounds, allowing children to be inspired to follow a scientific career path. They will understand that science is vital to the world’s future prosperity including the role that science plays in the field of STEM.

 

Be Brave - We aim to give opportunities for pupils to be brave in science lessons, ensuring they take well managed risks to find out about the world around them and as a result become confident, innovative scientists of the future who want to make a difference in our ever-changing world.

 

Be Healthy - Our Science curriculum also teaches children to be healthy, ensuring they have a thorough understanding of their bodies, exercise, food and how it can impact upon their physical and mental health.  

 

Intent – What Do We Aspire For Our Children? 

 

At Dovecotes, we want our children to be naturally curious and excited about the world around them. We recognise the importance of science in every aspect of our daily lives and aim to develop inquiring minds. As a core subject, we give the teaching of science the prominence it requires. We plan opportunities to increase the use of scientific vocabulary to expand language acquisition. We want our pupils to be competent in applying the key scientific skills of using equipment, recording, observing and measuring and so focus our practical lessons around these specific skills.  Our science curriculum is cumulative and progressive. It focuses on the sequential development of essential knowledge underpinning biology, chemistry and physics. Over time, these building blocks embed a deep understanding of the real world so that pupils know more, remember more and understand more about science.

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By the end of EYFS, children will:

• Explore the natural world around them, describing what they can see, hear and feel when outside and drawing pictures of animals and plants;

• Know some similarities and differences between the natural world around them and contrasting environments, drawing on their experiences and what has been read in class;

• Understand some important processes and changes in the natural world around them, including the seasons and changing states of matter;

• Know how to talk about forces that I can feel.

 

By the end of Key Stage 1:

By the end of KS1, basic fundamentals of the biology strand have been established along with the topic of materials. Pupils explore animals, humans and changes within environments and begin to develop simple scientific vocabulary linked to this. Children use different types of scientific enquiry to answer a range of questions. Children are encouraged to ask questions, discuss their findings and present their ideas in a variety of ways.

 

By the end of key stage 2:

In Lower Key Stage 2 pupils cover Forces, Magnets, Animals, Skeletons, Rocks, Respecting the Environment, Plants, Classification, Electricity, Light, Digestion, Animal Homes, States of Matter and Sound.

In Upper Key Stage 2 pupils cover Classification, Humans, Electricity, Earth and Space, Fieldwork Studies, Heart and Lungs, Forces, Mixture and Reactions, Decay and Recycling and Evolution.

By the end of KS2, pupils have a deep understanding of a range of scientific ideas. Children are able to link scientific ideas to the world around them. Children use secondary sources of information and purposeful, practical enquiry to draw conclusions and find things out.

 

Implementation – How Will We Deliver The Curriculum? 

 

Knowledge at the Heart of the Curriculum - Understanding Different Types of Knowledge in Science 

 

Substantive Knowledge 

 

Substantive knowledge sets out the subject-specific content that is to be learned - i.e. the National Curriculum units that can be separated into the disciplines of biology, physics and chemistry.

 

Disciplinary Knowledge

 

Disciplinary knowledge considers how substantive knowledge originates, is debated and revised. Disciplinary knowledge tells us how we know what we know; it is through disciplinary knowledge that pupils learn the enquiry practices of science. It gives an insight into the ways that scientists think - how they ask questions, plan an enquiry, observe, measure, interpret, conclude, predict and evaluate. Disciplinary knowledge enables one to ‘think like a scientist’. Disciplinary knowledge in science includes the Working Scientifically strand of the National Curriculum.

 

The staff at Dovecotes create a positive attitude to science learning within their classrooms and reinforce an expectation that all children are capable of achieving high standards in science. We enrich the curriculum wherever possible by taking part in Science Week, visits to places such as the Natrional Space Centre in Leicester and visits form inspirational educators (such as SteamCo).

 

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

 

• Science is taught in planned and arranged topic blocks by the class teacher following the ‘Engaging Science’ scheme of work. This is a strategy to enable the achievement of a greater depth of knowledge.

• Through our two-year planning cycle, we involve problem solving opportunities that allow children to find out for themselves. Children are encouraged to ask their own questions and be given opportunities to use their scientific skills and research to discover the answers. This curiosity is celebrated within the classroom.

• Planning involves teachers creating engaging lessons, often involving high-quality resources to aid understanding of conceptual knowledge.

• Teachers use precise questioning in class to test conceptual knowledge and skills, and assess children regularly to identify those children with gaps in learning, so that all children keep up.

• We build upon the learning and skill development of the previous years. As the children’s knowledge and understanding increases, and they become more proficient in selecting, using scientific equipment, collating and interpreting results, they become increasingly confident in their growing ability to come to conclusions based on real evidence.

• Working Scientifically skills are embedded into lessons to ensure these skills are being developed throughout the child’s time at Dovecotes and new vocabulary and challenging concepts are introduced through direct teaching.

• Teachers demonstrate how to use scientific equipment, and the various Working Scientifically skills in order to embed scientific understanding. Teachers find opportunities to develop children’s understanding of their surroundings by accessing outdoor learning where appropriate.

• We use ‘Science Ninjas’ to reward children for developing their skills in practical lessons.  This focuses on measuring, observing, recording and correctly using equipment..  Four children are identified before the start of the lesson by the class teacher and teaching assistant.  These children are carefully tracked through the lesson and, if successful, are rewarded with a Ninja sticker at the end of the lesson. 

• During Ninja lessons record learning which can be as simple as a table of results and a conclusion.  We ensure we concentrate on the learning and do not dilute this through unnecessary written work.

           

In the Foundation Stage, children are taught Science through the key area of learning set out within the EYFS Statutory Framework. Through a broad range of teacher-led, child-initiated and continuous learning opportunities, 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 why things work

• Develop their communication and co-operation skills

• 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.

 

In Key Stage 1 and 2 Science is taught by the class teachers. This ensures that the quality of Science teaching throughout these Key Stages remains consistent. Science is taught every week for 2 hours with additional sessions being taught where and when possible. 

 

Dovecotes Whole School Science Curriculum 
 

EYFS

EYFS teach through themes which are heavily led by the children’s interests. 

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Y1/2

• Cycle A

  • Everyday Materials 

  • Animal Kingdom (1)  Plants (2)  

  • Local Habitats (1)  Animals and their needs (2) 

• Cycle B

  • Weather (1)  Plants (2) 

  •  Living Things 

  • Habitats 

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Y3/4

• Cycle A

  • Forces and Magnets (1)  Animals and Skeletons (2)  

  • Rocks (1) Respecting the Environment (2)  

  • Plants (1) Classification (2)  

• Cycle B

  • Electricity (1) Light (2)  

  • Digestion (1)  Animals Homes (2)  

  • States of Matter (1)  Sound (2)  

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Y5/6

• Cycle A

  • Classification (1) Humans (2)  

  • Electricity (1) Earth & Space (2)  

  • Fieldwork Studies (1) Hearts and Lungs (2)  

• Cycle B

  • Forces (1)   

  • Mixtures and Reactions (1)  Decay and Recycling (2)  

  • Classification (1)  

  • Fieldwork Studies (1) – Y5 only  - Evolution (2)  

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Impact - How Do We Know Our Science Curriculum Is Effective? 

 

By the time they leave Dovecotes, our children:

• are confident and knowledgeable learners, excited about science.

• are able to demonstrate their new scientific knowledge, skills and understanding recorded in floorbooks and exercise books.

• use scientific vocabulary to describe and explain the world around them.

• can show that they are actively curious to learn more and are able to see the relevance of what they learn in science lessons.

• are able to apply learning to real-life situations and recognise the importance of science in the real world.

 

For further information about the Science curriculum please contact Mr Middleton our subject lead through the school email address.