We believe that Science/ Understanding the World (UTW) has a fundamental role in ensuring children develop the skills necessary to adopt a natural curiosity and help them to develop a scientific approach to solving problems that can be applied throughout the curriculum.
We develop children’s enjoyment and interest in science and an appreciation of its contribution to all aspects of everyday life and the world around them. We use our natural areas and locality to build on children’s curiosity and sense of awe of the natural world and to extend the learning environment.
We teach science in ways that are imaginative, purposeful, well-managed and enjoyable. Including, through first hand experiences, within school, in our outdoor environment, forest school and during educational visits.
We teach both the skills and knowledge within the science curriculum, promoting the science specific language and vocabulary, whilst developing skills of investigation including observing, measuring, predicting and experimenting alongside the knowledge of animals, plants, materials and seasonal change.
Intent
At Combs Infant School, we know that science knowledge and understanding is developed over many years. Our curriculum explicitly teaches concepts that underpin scientific enquiry, ensuring children can learn, remember and retain knowledge in their long term memory. We ensure that our curriculum is coherently sequenced to build on pupil’s prior knowledge. In order to succeed, children need to be secure in their substantive knowledge before learning new concepts or following new lines of enquiry.
We have agreed key knowledge that must be retained in each year group in order for children to successfully move on and learn new information the year after. Appropriate assessments are carried out to cover each strand to assess children’s retention of the knowledge. This information is then used to plan accordingly. Lesson planning across school is coherent and builds on conceptual knowledge and the understanding of the concepts behind vocabulary.
Children have a natural curiosity for everything which happens in the world around them and through science we hope to make a valuable contribution to their understanding. Science is a practical way of finding answers to questions we may ask about the world around us.
Implementation
To ensure high standards of teaching and learning in science, we implement a curriculum that is progressive throughout the school, allowing the children to embed their learning over time. Our planning and teaching of science ensures full coverage of the 2014 ‘National Curriculum programmes of study for Science’ and ‘Understanding the World’ in the Early Years Foundation Stage.
Wherever possible, Science is linked to the topic of the half term to fully immerse the children in the themes and to enable the achievement of a greater depth of knowledge. In KS1, Science is taught consistently as discrete lessons once a week, in order to give the subject the prominence it deserves. Due to our classes containing mixed year groups, science follows a 2 year cycle which ensures progression between year groups and guarantees that all areas of the curriculum are covered each year. In EYFS, science is taught through the children learning about the world around them in their learning through play. We promote and develop the use of transferable skills such as observation, communication and teamwork, and allow mathematical skills to be applied.
Through our planning, we involve problem solving opportunities that allow children to find out for themselves. Children are encouraged to ask their own questions and be given opportunities to use their scientific skills and research to discover the answers. This curiosity is celebrated within the classroom. Planning involves teachers creating engaging lessons, often involving high-quality resources to aid understanding of conceptual knowledge. Teachers use precise questioning in class to test conceptual knowledge and skills, and assess children regularly.
We build upon the learning and skill development of the previous years. As the children’s knowledge and understanding increases, and they become more proficient in selecting, using scientific equipment, collating and interpreting results, they become increasingly confident in their growing ability to come to conclusions based on real evidence. Working Scientifically skills are embedded into lessons to ensure these skills are being developed throughout the children’s school career and new vocabulary and challenging concepts are introduced through direct teaching. This is developed through the years, in-keeping with the topics.
Our teachers demonstrate how to use scientific equipment, and the various Working Scientifically skills in order to embed scientific understanding. We find opportunities to develop children’s understanding, whilst keeping it accessible and relevant, by accessing outdoor learning and planning trips to enhance what the children have been taught at school. Children are offered a wide range of extra-curricular activities, visits, trips and visitors to complement and broaden the curriculum.
Impact
The impact and measure of this is to ensure children not only acquire the appropriate age-related knowledge linked to the science curriculum, but also skills which equip them to progress from their own starting points, and within their everyday lives. The children will have gained a wider variety of skills linked to both scientific knowledge and understanding, and scientific enquiry skills. They will have a richer vocabulary which will enable them to articulate their understanding of taught concepts. Finally, they will enjoy being ‘scientists’ and leave us with a thirst for more knowledge, which will stay with them well into the future.
EYFS End Points
By the end of Reception children will explore the natural world around them, making observations and drawing pictures of animals and plants. They will know some similarities and differences between the natural world around them and contrasting environments, drawing on their experiences and what has been read in class. They will understand some important processes and changes in the natural world around them, including the seasons and changing states of matter. Children will manage their own basic hygiene and personal needs, including dressing, going to the toilet and understanding the importance of healthy food choices. They will also make comments about what they have heard and ask questions to clarify their understanding.
Key Stage One End Points
By the end of Key Stage One previous learning will be built upon further as children experience and observe phenomena, looking more closely at the natural and humanly – constructed world around them. Children will be encouraged to use their curiosity to ask questions about what they notice and will be supported to develop their understanding of scientific ideas by using different types of scientific enquiry. Children will begin to use simple scientific language to talk about what they have found out and communicate their ideas to a range of audiences in a variety of ways. Children will learn to work scientifically by attaining the disciplinary knowledge and thinking like scientists.
Teaching and Learning
Teachers ensure that all children meet learning objectives in our progressive Programme of Study, which encompasses the objectives from the KS1 National Curriculum, through a discrete or specific approach to teaching and learning, as well as through cross-curricular learning opportunities.
Science within EYFS is covered within the specific area of learning: Understanding the World: The Natural World. Children have opportunities to practically experience and explore animals, plants, materials and seasonal change through carefully planned child-centred learning environments linked to current themes and interests.
In Key Stage One, teachers ensure that the knowledge and skills children have acquired in EYFS are built upon. They will extend their knowledge of animals, plants, materials and seasonal change and will acquire new scientific skills through:
Extra Curricula opportunities (clubs)
Children are provided with a vast range of opportunities to develop their scientific skills and knowledge. They have opportunities to take part in a range of afterschool clubs which include Gardening Club, Science club and Outdoor Learning.
Educational visits
Throughout the year, the children partake in educational visits with a focus and cross curricular links to the science curriculum. These visits take place in areas in our locality and enable the children to make first hand observations of the world around them, using their knowledge from the classroom to predict, understand, test and evaluate the real life science as they encounter it.
Our science curriculum inspires children to adopt a natural curiosity and to develop a scientific approach to solving problems, creating an interest in science as a discrete area of enquiry but also an appreciation of its contribution to all aspects of everyday life and the world around them. The skills and attitudes children develop through our science curriculum can be used as they grow and chose careers in later life.
Role of Subject Leader
The role of the subject leader is to:
• ensure high quality Science lessons are taught across EYFS and Key Stage 1 through our agreed broad and rich Science curriculum.
• provide subject specific guidance/CPD to colleagues.
• monitor the Science curriculum delivered to children across the school highlighting strengths and areas for further development.
• monitor the progress and attainment of children in school in Science.
• manage resources to support delivery of a high quality curriculum.
• stay up to date with changes, new initiatives and research that would enhance and support the development of Science at Combs Infant School.
Reasonable Adjustments
In all classes there are children of differing abilities. At Combs Infant School we recognise this fact and provide suitable learning opportunities for all children. Teachers make reasonable adjustments through adaptive teaching, including; flexible grouping, level of support, equipment available (including technology), questioning and scaffolding. The SENCO and class teacher work closely together to ensure reasonable adjustments are made for all children.
Equality Statement
The Science curriculum adheres to our school Equality Policy. It is the responsibility of all staff to ensure that all children are treated equally, regardless of their background, gender, race or ability. We are an inclusive school and teach Science to all children respecting individual needs. The Science curriculum takes into account issues of difference including: gender, race and ethnicity.
SMBC
Opportunities to promote children’s spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is threaded throughout our Science curriculum. By its very nature, the scientific exploration of the natural and man-made world evokes moments of awe and wonder as children extend their experience, and develop their understanding, of the amazing world of which they are part. Opportunities for children to work collaboratively whilst investigating for example, supports children’s on-going social development.
SMSC in Science lessons
During Science lessons children will:
• have opportunities to be curious about the natural and man-made world in which they live
• Develop their sense of personal enjoyment of scientific investigation and understanding.
• Learn about the scientific world around them, past, present and future possibilities. • Have opportunities to reflect on the influence of science - locally, nationally and globally, developing their understanding of how developments in scientific knowledge and understanding has shaped and impacted the world they live in today and may live in in the future.
• Work collaboratively to investigate and learn from the thoughts and ideas of others • Develop understanding and show care and respect for the world in which they live.
How can you help with your child’s learning at home
Science is all around us and children are constantly observing their surroundings. Help your children make sense of the world around them by showing them science phenomena that occur in everyday activities. Be it outdoors or indoors, draw their attention to objects or things happening around them to trigger their curiosity and encourage them to explore.
As they explore, children tend to generate many thoughts and ideas. Engage your children by inviting them to ask questions or by asking them questions. They learn best this way! For example, as you explore the environment with your children, lead them to observe the diversity of living and non-living things around through the questions you ask.
Experiments, videos and fun activities are great ways to engage children too! Check out some of these online educational resources which you can try out together with your children:
Science within EYFS is covered within the specific area of learning: Understanding the World: The Natural World , with an understanding that each area of learning is impacted by children achieving the statements related in each of the prime areas of learning within the Development Matters Framework.
As our children progress to KS1, teachers ensure that the skills children have acquired in EYFS are built upon and utilised to enable children to further their skills and new knowledge by following the National Curriculum.
Understanding the World and Science are taught through projects our Cornerstones Curriculum. These projects are sequenced to develop children's substantive and declarative knowledge, and if possible, make meaningful links to other projects. These links allow for children to embed their substantive knowledge and vocabulary in new and often real-life contexts, to comprehend subsequent projects fully.