Science at Westlands

Intent

At Westlands Primary, we hope our children will develop their scientific knowledge through carefully planned exciting Science opportunities. Science sessions are generally cross-curricular and links to embed previous learning and deepen understanding are planned in.

We aim to support children to develop an understanding of the process and methods of Science by providing a range of scientific enquiries, investigations and questions to help them explore the world around them.

We hope to develop and nurture our children’s curiosity by not only following the National Curriculum, but following also following their questions and interests to hopefully develop a love, passion and appreciation for Science. Our intention throughout school is to develop their understanding of scientific ideas by using different types of scientific enquiry to answer their own questions, including observing changes over a period of time, noticing patterns, grouping and classifying things, carrying out simple comparative tests, and finding things out using secondary sources of information. During their time at Westlands, we aim to equip children with the knowledge required to use and implement Science today, tomorrow and for their futures.

science

Implementation

Science is delivered mainly through the National Curriculum Programmes of Study. Wherever possible learning is linked with our Creative Curriculum theme for the term however from time to time Science will need to be taught discretely in order to ensure that the demands of the National Curriculum are met.

For further, more detailed information, please click on this link:

Primary National Curriculum - Science

For Key Stage One, the focus is to enable pupils to experience and observe the world around them.  Following on from their time in Early Years Foundation Stage children need time to deepen prior learning and engage in first hand experiences and begin to use simple scientific language.

During their time in Lower Key Stage Two, the emphasis is all around children having opportunities to broaden their scientific view of the world around them.  Children are still encouraged to talk, test and make links.  During their time in Lower Key Stage Two children are encourages to speak about their findings and later write about what they have found.

Finally, in Upper Key Stage Two, children principal focus is to allow children time to deepen and develop their understating of a range of scientific ideas.  Here we encourage our children to select the most appropriate way to answer and record their findings.

Impact

Our Science Curriculum is high quality, well thought out and is planned to demonstrate progression. We measure the impact of our curriculum through the following methods:

  • A reflection on standards achieved against the planned outcomes with our monitoring processes;
  • Pupil discussions about their learning;
  • Aim High Assessment Grids.

 

Policies and Action Plans

Science policy March 2021

Science Long Term Plan 2022.23