Science

What does Science look like at Vicarage Park School?

K. Moffatt- Subject Lead.

Our intent: How will we achieve our curriculum vision?

Each year, during Spring term 1 the whole school take part in British Science week, where children focus their learning on a range of Scientific matters. Children are encouraged to be creative, think outside the box and develop their Scientific enquiry skills. This is great fun and a fantastic week filled with opportunities for children to explore a range of issues, work together and hopefully nurture a life long love of Science. We have developed our own science progression document which incorporates the National Curriculum objectives and focuses on scientific skills being built upon year on year.

The Implementation:

To ensure coverage and progression in each area of science, learning areas are being mapped out across the whole school year. This process will highlight progress of skills and ideas across year groups and Key Stages. Each year group uses a range of resources such as clear labelled diagrams displays, key knowledge mats detailing vocabulary and “sticky knowledge”.

Lessons include a range of resources such as variables planning boards, that enable learners to organise their ideas and clarify their thinking throughout an open-ended investigation or scientific enquiry working scientifically objectives, alongside the science content.

Children at Vicarage Park will develop scientific knowledge and conceptual understanding through the three specific science disciplines of biology, chemistry and physics.

They will learn the knowledge required, methods, processes, and the many uses of science through different types of science enquiries that will help them to answer scientific questions about the world around them. Pupils will be equipped with the scientific knowledge required to understand the uses and importance of and the implications of science, today and for the future.

Science in our school is about developing children’s interest, and a sense of excitement and curiosity for not only natural phenomena but ideas and ways of working that will enable them to make sense of the world in which they live through investigation, as well as using and applying process skills.

Through practical activities and team work, children will develop skills to explain, predict and analyse.

The impact:

What do outcomes in science look like? How successful is our teaching?

The teaching of science at Vicarage Park Primary School aims to be fun, engaging, delivering a high quality science education, that nurtures life long learning and provides children with the foundations for understanding the world that may support them during and beyond their primary education.

Assessment is teacher based and formed using a range of formal strategies (year group assessment tasks, quizzes) and other informal strategies (Use of concept maps, verbal/written outcomes, reflection tasks/presentations).

Formative assessment is used as a tool for assessing the impact of Science, as it allows for any misconceptions and gaps to be addressed in a more focussed manner rather than allowing insecure scientific foundations to exist.