Science

At Riversdale Primary School we believe in the importance for all children to develop a good understanding of Scientific knowledge and skills as an essential component of all subjects and to support their work across the curriculum.

Intent

At Riversdale Primary School we believe that a high-quality science curriculum provides the foundations for understanding the world through the specific disciplines of biology, chemistry and physics. Science has changed our lives and is vital to the world’s future prosperity, and all children should be taught essential aspects of the knowledge, methods, processes and uses of science. They should be encouraged to understand how science can be used to explain what is occurring, predict how things will behave, analyse causes and develop a sense of excitement about natural phenomena.

Science in our school is about developing children’s ideas and ways of thinking and working that enables them to make sense of the world in which they live through investigation, as well as using and applying process skills. The teachers at Riversdale ensure that all children are exposed to high quality teaching and learning experiences, which allow children to explore their outdoor environment and locality, thus developing their scientific enquiry and investigative skills. The children are immersed in scientific vocabulary, which aids their knowledge and understanding not only of the topic they are studying, but of the world around them. We intend to provide all children regardless of ethnic origin, gender, class, aptitude or disability, with a broad and balanced science curriculum.

Implementation

In ensuring high standards of teaching and learning in science, we implement a curriculum that is progressive throughout the whole school.

Planning for science is a process in which all teachers are involved to ensure that the school gives full coverage of The National Curriculum and Understanding of the World in the Early Years Foundation Stage. Science teaching at Riversdale Primary School involves adapting and extending the curriculum to match all children’s’ needs. Where possible, Science is linked to class topics. Science is taught as discrete units and lessons where needed to ensure coverage. Science units are taught on a year rolling programme. This ensures progression between year groups and guarantees topics are covered. Teachers plan to suit their children’s interests, current events, their own teaching style, the use of any support staff and the resources available.

We ensure that all children are provided with rich learning experiences that aim to:

• Prepare our children for life in an increasingly scientific and technological world today and in the future.
  
• Help our children acquire a growing understanding of the nature, processes and methods of scientific ideas.
  
• Help develop and extend our children’s scientific concept of their world.
  
• Build on our children’s natural curiosity and developing a scientific approach to problems.
  
• Encouraging open-mindedness, self-assessment, perseverance and developing the skills of 3 investigation – including: observing, measuring, predicting, hypothesising, experimenting, communicating, interpreting, explaining and evaluating.
  
• Develop the use of scientific language, recording and techniques.
  
• Develop the use of computing in investigating and recording.
  
• Make links between science and other subjects.
  

Science is taught consistently, once a week for up to two hours, but is discretely taught in many different contexts throughout all areas of the curriculum. For example, through English, i.e. writing a letter to a local supermarket regarding the use of plastic packaging/biography of a famous scientist’s life, etc.

We have also implemented a compulsory writing lesson in which the children must complete an extended piece of independent writing, this can be based on their current science topic, in the style of their most recent writing genre.

Impact

The impact and measure of this is to ensure children not only acquire the appropriate age-related knowledge linked to the science curriculum, but also skills which equip them to progress from their starting points, and within their everyday lives.

All children will have:

• A wider variety of skills linked to both scientific knowledge and understanding, and scientific enquiry/investigative skills.
  
• A richer vocabulary which will enable to articulate their understanding of taught concepts.
  
• High aspirations, which will see them through to further study, work and a successful adult life. 

Curriculum Policies

Please find our Science policy below:

• Science