St John Fisher Catholic Primary School

Science: Curriculum Statement

Intent

At St John Fisher Catholic Primary School, We provide children with a high quality science education that provides them with the foundations necessary to recognise the fundamental impact that science has on humans in our everyday lives and how science is vital to the worlds future prosperity. Children will understand how our Catholic values of wisdom, justice, faith, courage, hope, love and respect relate to science, the natural world and the environments in which we live.

Exciting, inspiring and relevant, we impart a carefully sequenced science curriculum which is permeated by both substantive and disciplinary knowledge recognising that both aspects are essential to the development of pupils scientific understanding and which leave pupils well informed and well prepared for the continuation of their science learning journey beyond primary school.

We have chosen to adopt the White Rose scheme of learning for Science at St John Fisher which focuses on a small-steps, ‘depth-not-breadth’ approach as pioneered by the highly successful White Rose maths scheme, also in use at St John Fisher. Coupled with high quality teaching and high expectations for all pupils including those with SEND, the White Rose curriculum enables engaging learning opportunities rich in language development with oracy at the heart. Children are immersed in subject specific language and are supported in articulating scientific concepts clearly and confidently. Teachers build on children’s prior knowledge through the continuous revisiting of concepts and by identifying and addressing misconceptions rapidly.  Working scientifically skills are core and children are exposed to one of the five types of scientific enquiry in every lesson. In addition, a key feature of the White Rose scheme is the interweaving of sustainability units where children develop a sense of global and local citizenship by understanding the value and importance of making responsible, informed and more sustainable lifestyle choices that minimise our impact on the environment and encourage children to think independently about their own future and impact.

Implementation

Combined with the use of White Rose Science, the subject leader will work in collaboration with teaching staff to ensure the delivery of the full national curriculum objectives for science throughout the primary phase. Teaching will seek opportunities for cross curricular links including providing opportunities for extended pieces of writing, the application of mathematical skills and concepts and computing. Effective planning and teaching of science will be monitored by the science leader and senior leadership through lesson observations, learning walks and book and planning audits to ensure progression across the school. CPD Opportunities provided to teaching staff and organised by the subject leader along with ensuring the school is resourced to a high standard for all practical experiments, will ensure that teachers have the correct resources to draw upon in order to teach the subject to a standard high in expectations for all pupils.

Through working alongside other schools in our cluster and Academy Trust, we will share and evaluate good practice in science.  Through our contact with local secondary schools, we will support smooth transitions along with collaborative approaches to resource sharing and wider learning experiences. Engaging with the wider science community including making links with STEM Ambassadors and inviting visitors and parents with careers based in science in to school will give children a deeper insight into how science contributes to the working world around us.

Science will be celebrated throughout the year with specific science events such as Space Week in the Autumn term and British Science week in the Spring. We will ensure pupils are able to share and reflect on their own science learning through pupil voice surveys and groups.  The Eco-Science Committee will continue to work alongside staff and pupils to support science events while promoting ideas for how our school can contribute to the safety of our planet. Teachers will use a range of formative and summative assessment strategies to ensure children have a secure understanding of curriculum content including the use of end of topic mini tests and quizzes throughout each topic.

Impact

Starting in the EYFS, teachers will plan science experiences linked to understanding the world which carefully dovetail with the learning expectations of year one so that important foundations are laid and which can be built upon using connected and coherent knowledge once children begin the transition from play-based to formal learning in Key Stage One.

Similarly, throughout the school, science teaching will be planned to ensure that what is being taught is related to knowledge already acquired by pupils in previous year groups along with taking into account what pupils are learning in maths so that pupils can build connected knowledge.

The successful approach adopted through White Rose to the teaching of science at St John Fisher will result in a fun and engaging high-quality science education that provides children with the foundations for understanding the world and having empathy for our local and wider environment. Rich learning opportunities including regular subject specific trips for all year groups will take place across the school.

Children at St John Fisher will;

• Demonstrate a love of science and interest in further enquiry within the field.
• Retain knowledge that is pertinent to science within real life contexts
• Be able to question ideas and reflect on knowledge
• Be able to articulate their understanding of scientific concepts and be able to reason scientifically using rich language linked to the subject.
• Work collaboratively and practically to investigate and experiment.

The impact of learning will be assessed through a wide variety of formative and summative strategies which will contribute to an overarching teacher assessment.

The Leader for Science is Mrs Ciara O'Flaherty.