Science

KEY QUESTION

'How do things work and change in our World'

Intent

At St Martin’s, we value the importance that science has in everything we do and how it impacts our lives. We believe our curriculum provides a rich and varied science education, providing all pupils with the skills and knowledge they need to progress further and sustain their interest in STEM subjects in the future. In addition, we aim to provide children with opportunities to make links with other subjects.

Through our curriculum, we aim to foster children’s natural curiosity and wonder about the world around us. Children are encouraged to explore, ask questions and challenge their understanding of science, and how this impacts our everyday lives developing their understanding or our key question - 'How do things work and change in our World?'

Working scientifically is at the core of our science delivery, developing children’s understanding of scientific methods, processes and skills. This is built upon through the school, enabling children to draw on their existing knowledge and apply this to new concepts with increased understanding and confidence.

At St Martin’s, we believe our science curriculum equips children with the knowledge they need to understand the uses and implications of science, today and for the future.

Implementation

Science is planned to build upon existing knowledge, and demonstrate progression in scientific knowledge and skills.
Science delivery is underpinned by our curriculum progression map which details prior learning and onward progression of those skills.
Teachers assess knowledge prior to, during and at the end of topics.
Teachers create high quality engaging lessons which encompass conceptual knowledge and skills as well as providing opportunities for further study across the curriculum and beyond.
Lessons are developed to challenge all pupils alongside addressing individual needs.
Teaching is designed to focus on the key features of scientific enquiry so that pupils can demonstrate their understanding and use a variety of methods to answer relevant scientific questions effectively.
A strong scientific vocabulary is taught and encouraged, which enables pupils to effectively communicate their ideas and understanding scientifically.
We have strong links between science and our forest school curriculum with many aspects of the science curriculum being embedded through the use of our wonderful outdoor provision.
Knowledge planners have been developed to support learning in class, linking prior learning to new content; these are shared with parents through the class pages on the website.
To enhance the learning experience and maximise engagement in science, teachers use a variety of WOW openers at the start of a topic

Impact

Children at St Martins enjoy learning science and are enthusiastic about what they have learnt. Over their journey through St Martins children develop a broader understanding of how our World works. As they move through the school children become increasingly independent in science, selecting their own resources and materials, completing pupil lead investigations and choosing their own strategies for recording.