Science
Science Vision Statement:
Our Intent
Science vision statement:
The aim of the St. Mark’s Science curriculum is to ensure that all our children have all the advantages the subject can offer. Lessons rich in scientific enquiry and practical experience are provided to ignite and fuel their intellectual curiosity, while providing the conceptual knowledge and scientific skills to actively engage with the world around them. Our inclusive and supportive ethos ensures that all children will invest in Science with increasing confidence and develop a greater sense of their responsibilities and stewardship within God’s created world.
St Mark’s children will be able to use the skills of scientific enquiry to engage with the world around them.
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CORE SKILLS IN SCIENCE TAUGHT ACROSS THE SCHOOL
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Asking Questions
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Making Predictions |
Setting Up Tests |
Observing and Measuring |
Recording Data |
interpreting and Communicating results |
Evaluating |
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EYFS |
Year 1 |
Year 2 |
Year 3 |
Year 4 |
Year 5 |
Year 6 |
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Autumn |
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Human Body – Senses
Animals- Structure of Animals and what they eat |
Uses of everyday materials
Animals including human offspring |
Rocks and Soils
Forces and Magnets |
Electricity
Sound |
Living things and their habitats – life-cycles of animals
Forces |
Animals including humans – circulatory system and life-cycle
Electricity |
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Spring |
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Everyday materials
Plants |
Living things and their habitats
Animals including humans |
Forces and Magnets
Plants – Investigate Growth |
Animals including humans – digestive systems including teeth
States of Matter
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Earth and Space
Properties and changes of materials |
Living things and their habitats- classification
Theory of Evolution and Inheritance
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Summer |
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Forces
Seasonal Changes |
Plants – Planning for planting
Living Things and their Habitats
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Animals including humans – skeletons, muscles and nutrition |
Living things and their habitats
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Living things and their habitats – asexual reproduction (cuttings and bulbs)
Animals including humans – life-cycle & puberty |
Theory of Evolution and Inheritance
Light |
Science topics are based on coverage outlined within the National Curriculum as well as themes that are linked to pupil interest and which enable us to promote broader diversity which reflects the backgrounds of the pupils at St Mark’s.
Implementation
- Science at St Mark’s will be taught in half termly blocks. Where possible, we will also use texts in Teaching of Reading and English to compliment subject knowledge, to further enrich children’s understanding and exposure of the Science topic.
- Each Science topic begins with a topic page which outlines the objectives that are to be taught during the term.
- Homework tasks may be linked to the termly topic, encouraging children to participate in additional research whilst at home. Work can then be brought into school and used in class displays
- Vocabulary linked to topics will be on displays and pre-taught to help to support EAL and SEN pupils
- During the year trips and/or experiences will be undertaken to further immerse students in the topic they will be learning about
- At the beginning of each lesson, children will review key concepts and vocabulary from previous lessons to reinforce knowledge and aid the retention of information through a ‘do now’ activity.
- Teachers will use lesson plans from the Kent Primary Science Scheme of work which embeds our Science vision within the content of the individual lessons and the topics as a whole.
- Subject knowledge documents have been provided by the subject leader as well as inset training, to help to make our expectations for the teaching of Science clear to all staff
- ‘Big’ or ‘Fertile Questions’ should be used within lessons to probe and extend children’s thinking as appropriate.
- Teachers try to provide at least 2 practical learning experiences for children during their science units
- At the end of the unit of study or half term, children will undertake a short assessment to identify their knowledge and understanding of the science topic that has been taught
- We encourage teachers where possible to participate in hands-on science enquiry using our outdoor environment, edible garden and pond area
- Where possible, we look to working alongside and obtain the expertise of our school gardeners in relation to living organisms, plants and life-cycles
Impact
The Science curriculum has been carefully mapped against the core skills and knowledge objectives in our progression of skills document. At the end of each topic, the children complete an assessment based upon the objects that were taught during the topic. The science objectives in the progression in primary science document is then used to determine whether pupils are achieving above national expectations, at expectations or below expectations by the end of the year.
