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Science

At The Cathedral School of St Peter and St John R.C Primary, we recognise the importance of Science in every aspect of daily life. As one of the core subjects taught in Primary Schools, we give the teaching and learning of Science the prominence it requires. At our school we encourage children to be inquisitive and beyond. The Science curriculum fosters a healthy curiosity in children about our universe and promotes respect for the living and non-living whilst supporting the importance of our faith. We believe science encompasses the acquisition of knowledge, concepts, skills and positive attitudes.

Science Intent

At The Cathedral School of St Peter and St John RC Primary we believe that a high-quality science education provides the foundations for understanding the world through the specific disciplines of biology, chemistry and physics. Science has changed our lives and all pupils should be taught essential aspects of the knowledge, methods, processes and uses of science. Through building up a body of key foundational knowledge and concepts, pupils should be encouraged to recognise the power of rational explanation and develop a sense of excitement and curiosity about natural phenomena. They should be encouraged to understand how science can be used to explain what is occurring, predict how things will behave, and analyse causes. They are immersed in scientific vocabulary, which aids children’s knowledge and understanding not only of the topic they are studying, but of the world around them. We ensure that all children are provided with rich learning experiences that aim to:

Prepare our children for life in an increasingly scientific and technological world today and in the future.
Help our children acquire a growing understanding of the nature, processes and methods of scientific ideas.
Help develop and extend our children’s scientific concept of their world.
Build on our children’s natural curiosity and developing a scientific approach to problems.
Encouraging open-mindedness, self-assessment, perseverance and developing the skills of investigations including: observing, measuring, predicting, experimenting, communicating, interpreting, explaining and evaluating.
Develop the use of scientific language, recording and techniques. Underpinned by:
High Expectations; All children are expected to succeed and make progress from their starting points. Quality feedback and formative assessments support this.
Progression of skills; Lessons are planned ensuring there is progression of key skills. Pupils are challenged and supported where necessary. Assessments ensure skills taught are pitched accurately.
Vocabulary rich environment; Pupils become familiar in using key scientific vocabulary and terminology specific to the topic. Also pupils should read, spell and pronounce scientific vocabulary correctly. They will have a greater understanding of the concepts by meeting and discussing these concepts in other subjects such as- attract – in magnets will be highlighted during History and geography when looking at Anglo Saxon’s attraction to particular areas settlements.
To develop sense of enquiry and curiosity; Opportunities for scientific enquiry to allow pupils to think critically, develop scientific skills and embrace challenging activities.
To develop knowledge and understanding of important scientific ideas, processes and skills and relate these to everyday experiences;
To learn about ways of thinking; and of finding out about and communicating ideas; and
To explore values and attitudes through science.
The Curriculum is planned for progression

Implementation

Good teacher subject knowledge; Teachers will have sound knowledge of the curriculum area in order to deliver high-quality lessons and provide pupils with outstanding teaching and learning.

Implementation

Science will be taught in 2 hour sessions per week.
In ensuring high standards of teaching and learning in science, we implement a curriculum that is progressive throughout the whole school (Inspiring science).
Teachers will also use other sources such as explorify and STEAM to enrich the science experience.
Planning for science is a process in which all teachers are involved to ensure that the school gives full coverage of, ‘The National Curriculum programmes of study for Science 2014’ and, ‘Understanding of the World’ in the Early Years Foundation Stage.
Science teaching at The Cathedral School of St Peter and St John RC Primary Primary School involves adapting and extending the curriculum to match all pupils’ needs. Where possible, Science is linked to class topics as stated above. Science is taught as discrete units and lessons where needed to ensure all scientific topics are taught.
Children will have the opportunity to participate in a wide range of extra-curricular activities to promote the cultural capital of the pupils. Visits, trips and visitors to complement and broaden the curriculum. These are purposeful and link with the knowledge being taught in class.
Regular events, such as Science Week or project days, such as STEM day across the whole school EYFS to KS2, provides broader provision and promoted the acquisition and application of knowledge and skills. These events often involve families and the wider community.

Impact

The successful approach at The Cathedral School of St Peter and St John R.C primary results in a fun, engaging, high-quality science education, that provides children with the foundations and knowledge for understanding the wider world. Through various workshops, trips and interactions with science ambassadors children have the understanding that science has changed our lives and that it is vital to the world’s future prosperity. Children learn the possibilities for careers in science as a result of our community links and our connection with agencies such as the STEM association. The impact and measure of this is to ensure children not only acquire the appropriate age related knowledge linked to the science curriculum, a rich vocabulary which will enable them to articulate their understanding of taught concepts, but also skills which equip them to progress from their starting points, and within their everyday lives. It gives children the knowledge that they need to be effective citizens and gives them a sense of their science identity. Due to the children’s experience of science in the Cathedral School of St Peter and St John they recognise that no matter their background a broad range of science careers are available to them.

The impact of our Science curriculum is measured through the monitoring cycle in school. This includes:

Lesson observation
Book/ work analysis
Learning walks
Discussions with classteachers
Pupil Voice discussions and questionnaire.

Monitoring is used to measure whether:

All children groups make progress and are able to express this in their work and vocally.
Children enjoy and are enthusiastic about science in our school.
There is a clear progression of children’s work and teachers’ expectations in our school.
Children’s work shows progression of skills knowledge and vocabulary in a range of topics and evidence of the curriculum coverage for all science topics.
Children are becoming increasingly independent in science, selecting their own tools and materials, completing pupil lead investigations and choosing their own strategies for recording. This gives the opportunity for the pupil to express their learning in a way that they will remember.
Feedback from teachers has an impact on our pupils, often with next step questions to push learning on.( Marking Sticker )
Children develop a richer vocabulary which will enable to articulate their understanding of taught concepts.
Children have high aspirations, which will see them through to further study, work and a successful adult life.
Pupils are prepared to study science in the next school phase particularly from key stage 2 to key stage 3