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Science at Northburn

Our science curriculum is split into three elements that work together to widen and enrich pupils learning. They are:

 

Enquiry

Working scientifically

Key knowledge

 

Reception

 

Enquiry:

Follow from children’s own line of enquiry with scaffolded learning through

a) creative and thinking critically,

b) playing and exploring.

The children find ways to solve problems and comment and ask questions about aspects of their familiar world.

 

Working scientifically:

Learning is active and specific investigation areas are used to encourage practical skills find new ways to do things / test their ideas. The children choose the resources they need for their activities, handle equipment and tools effectively, make observations, explain why some things occur, and talk about change.

 

Key Knowledge:

Science is part of a main topic; understanding of the world knowledge is imparted through that topic and the children begin to answer simple questions. Speaking builds up vocabulary that reflects the breadth of their experience.

 

Key Stage 1

 

Enquiry:

Children are encouraged to be curious and ask questions about what they notice. They should be helped to develop their understanding of scientific ideas by using different types of scientific enquiry to answer their own questions.

 

Working Scientifically:

Practical activities and skills of investigation are introduced specific to science. Experiments are structured by teachers. The children perform simple tests and use simple equipment, make observations, collect and record simple data and talk about what they have found out using simple scientific language.

 

Key Knowledge:

Children are exposed to the real world when teaching and the principal focus of teaching is to encourage inquisitiveness. Science is taught as a standalone subject but recorded in their topic books. Key scientific vocab is reinforced and explained in each topic. Specific science key concepts are introduced.

 

Lower Key Stage 2

 

Enquiry:

Exploring, talking about, testing and developing ideas about everyday phenomena and the relationships between living things and familiar environments, and beginning to develop their ideas about functions, relationships and interactions. The children should ask their own questions about what they observe and make some decisions about which types of scientific enquiry are likely to be the best ways of answering them.

 

Working scientifically:

The children set up their own simple tests and make careful observations, use different equipment to make accurate measurements, gather, and record, present and classify data in different ways, explain what they have found out, draw simple conclusions and use these to make further predictions. The children must use relevant scientific language and be able to suggest improvements and raise further questions.

 

Key Knowledge:

Science is taught as a stand-alone subject and recorded in their science books. Key Scientific vocabulary is reinforced and explained. The principal focus of teaching is to enable pupils to broaden their scientific view of the world around them. Pupils should read and spell scientific vocabulary correctly and with confidence, using their growing word-reading and spelling abilities.

 

Upper Key stage 2

 

Enquiry:

Exploring and talking about their ideas; asking their own questions about scientific phenomena; and analysing functions, relationships and interactions more systematically. The children will encounter more abstract ideas and begin to recognise how these ideas help them to understand and predict how the world operates.

 

Working Scientifically:

The children set up their own tests to answers questions deciding on what observations and measurements to make, use different scientific equipment to take precise measurements and take repeat reading. They decide how to record data using a variety of graphs and charts, report and present findings using speaking and writing. They use relevant scientific language and illustrations and use results to make predictions and set up more tests.

 

Key Knowledge:

The principal focus of science teaching is to enable pupils to develop a deeper understanding of a wide range of scientific ideas. They should begin to recognise that scientific ideas change and develop over time. Pupils should read, spell and pronounce scientific vocabulary correctly.