Science teaches an understanding of natural phenomena and events in the world around them. It aims to stimulate a child’s curiosity in finding out why things happen the way they do. It teaches methods of enquiry and investigation to simulate creative thoughts and as science links direct practical experience with ideas, it can engage learners at many levels. Children learn to ask scientific questions and begin to appreciate the way science will affect their future on a personal, national and global level.

Our intent

At Southroyd, we want our children to be naturally curious and inquisitive about the world around them.  Our whole school curriculum develops a sense of awe and wonder which encourages children to enquiry and ask questions about natural phenomena.  Children will be exposed to first hand experiences both indoor and out, which will allow children to recognise that science is not confined to a classroom and will build upon their science capital. Throughout each lesson we aim to:

• develop a natural curiosity about their environment
• have engaging lessons that make a valuable contribution to their knowledge and understanding of the world
• provide a stimulating, engaging and challenging learning environment
• fostering a healthy curiosity about the universe, encouraging our pupils to ask questions about how and why
• develop scientific language which is built upon as topics are revisited in different year groups and across key stages, with the assistance of a pupil made scientific working wall
• provide all children with the scientific skills required to understand the uses and implications of science, today and for the future

Our Implementation

We deliver a high quality, bespoke and flexible science curriculum that inspires and challenges all children. All pupils will be taught essential aspects of the knowledge, methods, processes and uses of science so that they can emulate these skills in school and beyond. Children will be encouraged to work scientifically in each lesson as well as being able to use scientific enquiry skills to explain what is happening, predict outcomes and analyse data.

The science curriculum is split into 3 sections – biology (which is in green), Physics (which is in red) and chemistry (which is in blue). As you can see some areas are covered in more than one year group, this is to help build on prior knowledge and skills. The topics in black are not compulsory, therefore we may not spend as long on them, but as there is no longer any physics in KS1 we felt the children would be missing out if we didn’t teach them the basic learning blocks in these areas. See the document below. 

Each lesson will have a working scientifically element threaded through it, this is what children will need to do to be a scientist. The lessons will start off with a question that the children will be able to answer by the end of the lesson. Children will use their enquiry skills, which is how they will solve the question and learn, to answer this original question. KS1 will decide which enquiry type they have used with the teacher at the end of the lesson, LKS2 will decide with the teacher which one will be best to answer the question and UKS2 will independently decide the best enquiry type to use. 

Click below to view the progression in our science curriculum from Nursery to Year 6.

Within Early Years, the planning is based on the objectives taken from ‘Understanding of the World’ and taught through provision areas in and around school and focused tasks with the class teacher. Teachers ensure that the provision areas spark science curiosity and allow children to explore elements of the scientific enquiry skills. 

In Key Stage One and Two, children are taught a minimum of one science lesson per week. Planning ensures effective coverage of the national curriculum plus opportunities for retrieval throughout the year so that children are frequently recapping prior learning and embedding knowledge in their long term memory. Teachers make reference to the overviews and learning journeys to carefully sequence lessons, ensuring that there is clear progression throughout year groups. Topics often involve practical, hands on activities and are linked to real-life contexts to make learning real and relevant for the pupils. Key scientific language is modelled throughout lessons enabling our children to be familiar with and use vocabulary accurately.

'Wow' Science

Each half term will also include a wow science session(s). This could be linked with the current science curriculum or may be linked with any current news items; wider curriculum areas or it could be simply any exciting science activities that get the children thinking inquisitively and asking questions like, ‘have you ever wondered why….?’ These will be very practical, hands on sessions that give children a sense of real life, practical science with a ‘wow factor’ thrown in. These sessions will develop the children’s skills of scientific enquiry.