Science

“The important thing in science is not so much to obtain new facts as to discover new ways of thinking about them.”

                                                                                                                                                          –  William Lawrence Bragg.

Science at Washingborough Academy

Intent

At Washingborough Academy, our curriculum is designed to provide a high-quality education which lays the foundations for all the children to become resilient, confident learners. Our science work enables understanding of the world through the three key areas: biology, chemistry and physics, allowing the children to ask questions and show curiosity towards their learning. Science has been the key to changing our lives and it is important that the children are taught the essential aspects of it. We encourage them to develop a sense of excitement and curiosity to natural phenomena and understand how science can be used to explain what is happening, predict how things will behave and analyse causes. Science should be fully inclusive so that every child develops a love of it and our aim is to enable all children to fulfil the requirements of the National Curriculum. We provide a broad, balanced and differentiated education whilst ensuring the progressive development of knowledge, skills and vocabulary.

The aims of teaching science in our school are to:

  • Develop through practical work, the skills of observation, prediction, investigation, interpretation, communication, questioning and increased use of precise measurement skills (linking this to maths)
  • Equip the children to use themselves as starting points for learning about science and to build on their enthusiasm and natural sense of wonder about the world
  • Encourage and enable children to offer their own suggestions, and to be creative in their approach to science by devising their own lines of enquiries
  • Allow children to develop their skills of cooperation through working with others, and where possible, encourage ways for children to explore science in forms which are relevant and meaningful to them
  • Develop an understanding of key scientists and their work
  • Teach scientific enquiry through contexts taken from the National Curriculum
  • Encourage children to collect relevant evidence and to question the outcome to build resilience, as it is likely they will need to repeat results or encounter errors that do not support their hypothesis
  • To critically question the world around them
  • Equip the children with the language they need to be able to discuss their learning and confidently explain their scientific understanding

Implementation

The science subject leader is responsible for the curriculum design, delivery and impact in this subject. The teaching of science is implemented by:

  • Ensuring high standards of teaching and learning in science, using a curriculum that is progressive throughout the whole school
  • Discrete science lessons where teachers have the same expectations that they would have when teaching literacy or mathematics and that any mathematical task (such as measuring or drawing graphs) is pitched at an age-appropriate level to ensure sufficient challenge. It is vital that any mathematical or literacy barriers should not impede a child’s scientific learning, thus meaning dialogic learning is a central part to our science teaching
  • Before teaching the unit of work, teachers must assess children’s prior knowledge and understanding to ensure the work is pitched at the correct level and any misconceptions are covered too
  • Teaching key subject specific vocabulary
  • Science assessment is based on teacher’s assessment of children. This is then reported on the school’s assessment document and the percentage of children working at and below the expected standard are identified
  • At the end of Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 the teacher assessments are submitted
  • At the end of a unit, teachers will identify if a child is working at the expected standard for that objective or below. This is then passed on to the next class teacher as a record of the child’s progress throughout the year
  • During staff meetings, science work is moderated against the exemplification document published
  • At the end of the year, the Science lead takes Year 2 and Year 6 work to be externally moderated alongside other schools
  • CPD will be offered to staff where needed, this may be a course to attend, an online CPD programme to take part in or the subject leader delivering training to the rest of the staff

 

Impact

The approach to teaching Science Lessons at Washingborough Academy is to ensure that all lessons are fun, engaging, offer a high-quality science education and provide children with the foundations for understanding the world that they can take with them once they complete their primary education. The impact of our Science curriculum is measured in a variety of ways:

  • Discussions with children in lessons
  • Targeted questions during lessons
  • Marking of children’s work
  • Pupil’s voice
  • Learning walks
  • Book studies
  • Termly assessment

By the time children leave Washingborough Academy they will:

  • Demonstrate a love of science work and an interest in further study and work in this field
  • Retain knowledge that is pertinent to science with a real-life context
  • Be able to question ideas and reflect on knowledge
  • Be able to articulate their understanding of scientific concepts and reason scientifically using rich language linked to science
  • Be able to discuss key scientists and their work
  • Demonstrate a high love of mathematical skills through their work, organising, recording and interpreting results
  • Work collaboratively and practically to investigate and experiment
  • Achieve age related expectations in Science at the end of their cohort year

 

“The most beautiful thing we can experience is the mysterious. It is the source of all true art and science.” – Albert Einstein