Science Subject Lead - Miss Bradbury
Our Vision At St James’ Catholic Primary School pupils foster their natural curiosity for science through an exciting, inclusive and inspiring curriculum. Through purposeful enquiry and a rich, stimulating environment, pupils are given opportunities to explore and question in order to develop a deeper understanding of the world around them.
Statement of Intent
1. To promote and develop children’s enjoyment and enthusiasm for science through exciting, practical, first-hand learning and opportunities to experiment, explore and investigate.
2. To ensure that the statutory requirements of the National Curriculum (2014) for science are taught well and that where appropriate their scientific knowledge skills and understanding are applied across all subjects of the curriculum.
3. To ensure that the school’s schemes of work and guidelines for science are taught, thoroughly, systematically and progressively to all pupils by all staff.
4. To help pupils to become scientists by developing their problem solving and reasoning skills so that they can apply their scientific thinking across the curriculum.
5. To ensure that from the EYFS onwards, pupils are confident in their understanding and application of their basic skills in science and that they build upon their prior learning at every stage.
6. To encourage children to use their increasing knowledge, skills and understanding of science to investigate, ask questions and solve challenging problems.
7. To develop pupils’ confidence and skill in scientific methods as they explore the areas of science and address increasingly complex problems. 8. To bring science to life and make it real so that children understand the importance of science in the world and in their everyday lives.
9. To ensure that all children, particularly those with special needs or disability; those who are ‘stuck’ or those finding it hard, are well supported. 10. To teach pupils to work with proper regard for their own safety and that of others, using safety equipment where necessary.
Implementation
1. An appropriate range of teaching and learning strategies will be used in all science lessons to capture pupils’ interest and to promote effective learning and progress.
2. Teachers will use the schemes of work and guidelines, supported by an appropriate range of teaching and learning resources, to develop the knowledge, skills and understanding of every child, ensuring that all pupils, including those with SEND, achieve high standards for their ability and make appropriate progress.
3. Children will be encouraged to; ask questions, solve problems, discover new information, apply and consolidate their knowledge, skills and understanding through first-hand experience, investigations and practical work.
4. Teachers will make use of the immediate and wider environment to help pupils apply their scientific knowledge skills and understanding to see the relevance of science to their own lives. They will set challenging work, tasks and problems to increase children’s’ knowledge, skills and understanding, to extend their thinking and build their self-confidence.
5. Teachers will assess children’s work in science through formative and summative judgements by; asking questions, observing learners during lessons, observing pupils solving practical problems and listening to pupils’ discussions. Pupils will regularly be given appropriate and clear verbal feedback which tells them how well they have done and what they need to do next to improve. 3
6. The science leader will support the teaching and learning of science by; providing strategic leadership and direction, monitoring progress and standards across the school, reviewing and revising the science policy, monitoring and supporting teachers in the teaching of science, keeping staff up to date on new developments in science, monitoring the effectiveness of the planning and development of science, auditing, monitoring the effective and appropriate use of resources and obtaining new resources.
Impact
This policy will ensure that all pupils become confident scientists. Effective teaching will ensure that they can solve problems by applying their knowledge, understanding and skills in science with increasing sophistication. This policy should be read in conjunction with other key policies including; assessment, marking, teaching and learning, special needs and equal opportunities, deployment of support staff.
“Science is a way of thinking much more than it is a body of knowledge”
Carl Sagan
At St James’ Catholic Primary School pupils foster their natural curiosity for Science through an exciting, inclusive and inspiring curriculum. Through purposeful enquiry and a rich, stimulating environment, pupils are given opportunities to explore and question in order to develop a deeper understanding of the world around them.
“A scientist is not a person who gives the right answers, he’s the one who asks the right questions”
Claude Levi Strauss
