Subject statement of intent:
To lead and deliver a science curriculum that encourages the understanding of the nature, processes and methods of science.
At Hockley Primary, the curriculum is all the planned activities that we organise in order to promote learning and personal growth and development.
It includes not only the formal requirements of the National Curriculum and EYFS, but also the range of extracurricular activities and experiences that the school organises in order to enrich the education of the children and to develop them spiritually, morally, socially and culturally.
It also includes the ‘hidden curriculum’, or what the children learn from the way they are taught and expected to behave.
A set of key milestones complement the National Curriculum achievements within our school and provide ambition and direction for children and teachers and ensure pupils are in the best place for transition not only within our school but to KS3 and beyond.
Aims and Objectives
Science is a body of knowledge built up through experimental testing of ideas. Science is also methodology, a practical way of finding reliable answers to questions we may ask about the world around us. Science in our school is about developing children’s ideas and ways of working that enable them to make sense of the world in which they live through investigation, as well as using and applying process skills. We believe that a broad and balanced science education is the entitlement of all children, regardless of ethnic origin, gender, class, aptitude or disability. Our aims in teaching science include the following.
Preparing our children for life in an increasingly scientific and technological world.
Fostering concern about, and active care for, our environment.
Helping our children acquire a growing understanding of scientific ideas.
Helping develop and extend our children’s scientific concept of their world.
Developing our children’s understanding of the international and collaborative nature of science.
Attitudes
Encouraging the development of positive attitudes to science.
Building on our children’s natural curiosity and developing a scientific approach to problems.
Encouraging open-mindedness, self-assessment, perseverance, resilience and responsibility.
Building our children’s self-confidence to enable them to work independently.
Developing our children’s social skills to work cooperatively with others.
Providing our children with an enjoyable experience of science, so that they
will develop a deep and lasting interest and may be motivated to study Science further.
Skills
Giving our children an understanding of scientific processes.
Helping our children to acquire practical scientific skills.
Developing the skills of investigation - including observing, measuring,
predicting, hypothesising, experimenting, communicating, interpreting, explaining and evaluating.
Developing the use of scientific language, recording and techniques.
Enabling our children to become effective communicators of scientific ideas, facts and data.
Our teaching aims
Teaching science (National Curriculum Science Orders or equivalent) in ways that are imaginative, purposeful, well managed and enjoyable.
Giving clear and accurate teacher explanations and offering skilful questioning.
Where appropriate, child-led so they can ask, explore and investigate their own questions about the world around them.
Making links between science and other subjects.
Science is a core subject in the National Curriculum (for England, Wales and
Northern Ireland). In England, it has four areas of study.
These are:
Working Scientifically
Biology
Chemistry
Physics
Our role is to teach scientific enquiry through the contexts of the three main content areas. The breadth of study statement in the National Curriculum is concerned with issues such as the use of ICT, scientific language and health & safety.
Children in the foundation stage - the reception class(es) - are taught the science elements of the foundation stage document through the Early- Learning Curriculum: Knowledge and Understanding of the World.
