Science

It is our intention that during their time at Leigh Academy Hartley, all of our pupils will:

• Be stimulated, excited and curious about phenomena and events in the world around them.

• Develop an inquiring mind and be confident to ask questions and investigate to find answers to enquiries.

• Be able to apply their scientific understanding in their lives and know that Science can bring change to the world around us.

• Be able to use scientific language confidently and appropriately. 

• Have access to an engaging, high quality Science curriculum that enables them to develop as open-minded, reflective thinkers who will enthusiastically approach further learning in Science as well informed, globally aware young people.

• Develop a love for science.

The Science Lead has shared a clear and comprehensive progression of skills and knowledge document for Reception to Year 6, which teachers refer to when planning. This model allows children to build upon their prior knowledge and increases their enthusiasm for the topics whilst embedding this procedural knowledge into the long-term memory. 

Whilst we ensure children will be taught all aspects of the National Curriculum, wherever relevant, the skills, key and related concepts will be taught through the transdisciplinary themes of the PYP. 

Subject leaders monitor at least 3 times a year to ensure coverage and progression and highlight areas that have already been covered or gaps for cohorts. They will feed this monitoring back to SLT to ensure any points for following up are completed.

Science is taught weekly for approximately 1 hour - this may vary depending on the age of the children/content of the lesson. On occasions, teachers may choose to block their science teaching during a week of a half term. In addition, teachers will, where possible, respond to spontaneous science inquiries that are not directly related to any planned units of inquiry. These are valuable learning and teaching experiences in themselves and they provide teachers and students with the opportunity to apply the pedagogy of the PYP to authentic, in-the-moment situations. 

Teachers use a variety of strategies to assess children’s starting points. They plan collaboratively (in year groups teams) for practical, engaging lessons. Wherever possible teachers will give pupils hands-on, real-life experience of concepts being taught. Guided inquiry is the main approach for teaching and learning in Science; teachers model and value inquiry and provide a range of problem solving and real-life opportunities for students to investigate and 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. 

All 5 areas of Scientific Enquiry are displayed in the classroom and referred to during lessons. Children are given regular opportunities to make accurate observations, handle tools, record and compare data, and formulate explanations using their own scientific experiences and those of others. Pupils gain experience in thinking critically about the perspectives of others in order to develop further their own ideas.  This approach means that Science lessons contribute greatly to the children’s development of the attributes of the PYP Learner Profile. 

Effective questioning allows ongoing assessment which highlights where pupils are in terms of understanding, and enables teachers to identify any misconceptions and uncover any gaps. Discussion is valued as a way of building up children’s use and understanding of scientific vocabulary. 

Knowing the benefits of being outdoors to children, teachers regularly plan activities to develop children’s understanding of scientific skills and concepts in the school grounds (for example at the pond, in the woodland or on the fields). Trips and visits from experts who will enhance the learning experience are offered at HPA. Events such as STEAM week give all pupils a broader provision and application of knowledge and skills.

Learning walks are carried out to ensure that high standards of delivery of the science curriculum are met. Where good practice is identified, it is shared with staff through CPD to help refresh or improve subject knowledge. Alongside this staff CPD, we also use the National College to further up-skill our staff, and therefore provide better learning experiences for our children. 

Science book scrutinies and moderation are carried out to check that standards across HPA are consistent and children are progressing at least as expected. 

We identify children who need support and provide scaffold, targeted work and other differentiation for those who aren’t meeting the expected standard. We provide opportunities to celebrate children’s hard work, through our displays, our website, and feedback within the classroom. This enables children to reflect on their work, as well as give them opportunities to learn from others. 

By the time children reach Year 6, they will have covered the entirety of the Science National Curriculum. We will provide a teacher assessment at the end of Year 6 stating whether a child is 'at the expected standard' or 'has not met the expected standard'. As well as this, we also track attainment throughout the year against each science objective - this then translates to a percentage of 'at expected', 'above expected', or 'below expected'. 

Each year, we aim for every child to at least make expected progress and have the skills they need to equip themselves for the challenges of the secondary curriculum and beyond.