Intent

The science curriculum at Fellside is underpinned by the National Curriculum (2014). It provides children with the foundations for understanding the world through the disciplines of biology, chemistry and physics. It also enables them to develop their scientific enquiry skills through generating and seeking answers to questions about the world around them, and to understand the role of science (and scientists) in the world today.

Science at Fellside is an important core curriculum area. Through building key knowledge, concepts and skills, we foster a sense of excitement and curiosity about natural phenomena. Children are introduced to a series of conceptual models and practical activities that progressively build a deepening understanding of the science curriculum and working scientifically.

Principles of Effective Science at Fellside

• Children enjoy science.
• Children use scientific vocabulary accurately and confidently.
• Children work collaboratively.
• Children can use a range of equipment.
• Children have the opportunity to conduct hands-on investigations in a real-life context and are given time to explore and solve problems.
• Children ask questions and make choices during their investigations.
• Children can make links between the areas of science they have studied.

Implementation

The science curriculum at Fellside is organised into units of work that build progressively as the children move through school. These provide children with scientific knowledge and conceptual understanding as well as teaching them scientific enquiry skills. Running through all of the units are opportunities to both develop knowledge and think scientifically, in increasingly complex ways.

In Key Stage 1, the focus is on giving children the opportunities to look further at the world around them. There is a focus on animals, humans, plants and materials – all which they have an understanding of as a result of their own world experiences. Through these topics they further develop their scientific enquiry skills and carry out investigations/enquiries to answer questions. They begin to use scientific language to talk about what they have found out.

In Year 3 and Year 4, the children build on their knowledge of animals, humans, plants and materials and are also introduced to other concepts such as light, sound, and electricity. The children have opportunities to explore and test out ideas about everyday phenomena and begin to make decisions about how best to carry out an enquiry. During this stage they begin to draw simple conclusions based on their findings.

As the children move into Year 5 and Year 6, they continue to build on their knowledge of animals, humans and materials and further develop a deeper understanding of light, electricity and forces. They are also introduced to more abstract ideas such as Earth and space and evolution. The children begin to test and analyse more systematically and build on their understanding of how to conduct scientific enquiries effectively and fairly, drawing conclusions from results and comparing these to predictions and hypotheses.

Woven into our curriculum is the work of renowned scientists whose legacies have shaped past and current scientific thinking. Where relevant, classroom learning is also supplemented by field trips, visitors to schools and visits to museums and other places of scientific interest.

Impact

On leaving Fellside, we would expect children to have acquired a good foundation of science knowledge and skills. In practise, we see our ‘principles of effective science’ happening in science lessons and learning recorded in children’s books reveals a deepening understanding of knowledge and skills. We have assessment criteria matched to the curriculum in order to ensure children have the required knowledge, skills and concepts expected of them at the end of each key stage.  This is in line with the statutory requirements of the national curriculum.