Teaching and Learning
All the children have access to science. It is organised in year groups and fulfils the requirements for the National Curriculum (2014).
Children are given the opportunity to work in a variety of ways and groupings. These are dependent on the skills, knowledge and understanding to be studied.
Foundation Stage
Foundation stage follows the Statutory framework for the early years foundation stage Curriculum (2017). Science at this level is taught through play based activities based on first hand experiences, which are either child initiated or adult focused. Detailed assessments are collated and maintained by the teacher. This record includes a variety of assessments such as observations, photographs, children’s drawings and recorded dialogues between teachers and child. At the end of the Foundation year a child is assessed against the early learning goals and the results are sent to the LEA as required nationally.
Science Investigations
Children will be taught to devise and plan experimental work, make predictions, and obtain and consider evidence. Investigations may be used at different points in a unit of work. They may be used as a way of finding out what children already know, to assess how well children have understood the work they have been doing, or as a way for children to acquire new understanding. Children will be encouraged to pose questions and discover answers to them.
Skills and Attitudes
In our science activities we hope to develop the following skills: observing, raising questions, predicting, hypothesising, planning, fair testing and controlling variables, measuring, collecting and interpreting data, explaining evidence and communicating findings in a variety of ways.
Through science we endeavour to foster the following qualities within a safe environment: curiosity, perseverance, open-mindedness, self-discipline, sensitivity to others, independence, adaptability, co-operation, health and safety considerations and care for living things.
Differentiation
Teachers allow for all children to reach their full potential in Science through appropriate planning, and through adapting tasks to individual pupil’s needs. Tasks are differentiated in a variety of ways across the school in order to allow for pupils to access learning and meet their potential.
Equal Opportunities
Throughout the planning stages we ensure that the science curriculum is available to all pupils, with equal and appropriate access regardless of sex, race, faith and disability.
ICT
The use of ICT within science is encouraged. Where appropriate, children are provided with the opportunity to communicate through ICT as well as using it to collect and present data. Teachers and children in both key stages use the interactive whiteboard and digital cameras as teaching and learning tools within this subject.
Records and Assessment
Children are assessed after each science topic using the Rising Stars scheme of work. Results are then passed onto the science coordinator who tracks pupil progress across the school.
Safety
It is important that children are taught to observe the rules of safety when carrying out experiments and investigations. Materials and equipment need to be handled sensibly and we try to ensure that children do this. Teachers have been provided with a copy of “Be Safe” (published by the Association of Science Education) to provide them with guidance on safe working within the science curriculum. A copy of the document is also available in the staff room.
Resources
A range of science resources are available from the science resource cupboard. Resources are grouped according to topics and are available to all members of staff.
