Science

Intent:

At Bulford St Leonard’s, it is our aim to equip children with a strong understanding of the world around them whilst also developing scientific skills and knowledge that will allow them to think like scientists. Our children will gain a practical understanding of key scientific processes as well as an understanding of how scientists have impacted, and continue to impact, the rapidly changing world and global community.

We aim to promote curiosity and empower children to form questions about the world around them and to develop their own informed thoughts and opinions about key issues of our generation and how science can impact this.

Implementation:

The school has created its own ‘Science Overviews’ that are mapped out from Year 1 to Year 6. The purpose of the overviews is to create a progressive sequence of scientific knowledge, skills and vocabulary. This has been designed so that the children build on previous knowledge and can therefore form concrete connections, developing their schema, to further their understanding as well as supporting long term retention.

Progression documents have been created to provide teachers with a clear understanding of what knowledge has come before and the key learning that they will move onto in future years.

To support the overviews and progression documents, key information and vocabulary is outlined in a ‘knowledge organiser’. We believe it is important for children to understand the context of their learning so have incorporated learning about a relevant scientist to begin every new term. This allows the children to become more historically aware as well as understanding the background of how as well as what was discovered.

We take the opportunity to celebrate science by taking part in British Science Week and focusing on the yearly theme they provide. This allows the children to work on science learning that may be outside of the curriculum or to revisit and review areas that have previous been learnt.

Impact:

By the end of KS2, we aim for all children to be competent and knowledgeable in each key area of Science as well as being prepared to use the scientific skills necessary to contribute to the ever-changing wider community. Throughout the year, we aim to incorporate practical opportunities as well as connections to the key issues of our generation with the aim to ignite a passion for science to further instil a determination to change the world.