Barmby Moor Primary School understands the need for all pupils to develop their scientific ability as an essential component of all subjects and as a subject in its own right. A good understanding of scientific knowledge and conceptual understanding helps to support pupils work across the curriculum.

Intent

At Barmby Moor Primary School we believe that a high quality science education 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 pupils should be taught essential aspects of the knowledge, methods, processes and uses of science. Through building up a body of key foundational knowledge and concepts, pupils should be encouraged to recognise the power of rational explanation and develop a sense of excitement and curiosity about natural phenomena. They should be encouraged to understand how science can be used to explain what is occurring, predict how things will behave, and analyse causes.

Science in our school is about encouraging children’s ideas and ways of working that enable them to make sense of the world in which they live by developing understanding of the nature, processes and methods of science through different types of science enquiries. Staff at Barmby Moor Primary School 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 these scientific enquiry and investigative skills. They are immersed in scientific vocabulary, which aids children’s 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. We aim to ensure children are equipped with the scientific knowledge required to understand the uses and implications of science, today and for the future. We aim to make Science relevant to children and their lives and develop their aspirations in the field of Science.

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 programmes of study for Science 2014’ and, Science strands of ‘Understanding of the World’ in the Early Years Foundation Stage. Science is taught as discrete units and lessons from the “Planit” scheme of learning to ensure coverage and progression. Science units are taught on a two year rolling programme; this ensures progression between year groups and guarantees all topics are covered. It also ensures children are developing and building on their scientific enquiry skills.

Teachers adapt planning to suit their children’s needs, interests, current events, their own teaching style, the use of any support staff and the resources available. Where possible, Science teaching is linked to class themes.

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

•             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 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 two hours, but is also taught in many different contexts throughout all areas of the curriculum. For example, through English, such as: using non-fiction texts to research the work of Scientists.

We also develop children’s love and experience of Science through a range of Educational visits such as: Flamingo Land Zoo and The Deep. We also aim to develop aspiration in Science careers through inviting visitors into school such as: paramedics, vets and other speakers.

At Barmby Moor Primary we aspire to promote children’s independence and for all children to take responsibility in their own learning, therefore children use response time, to reflect on their learning and progress throughout a topic. We also use assessments, which are completed at the end of a topic, in order to show clear progression and children’s new found knowledge and understanding.

Impact

The impact and measure of our Science curriculum 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 deep and progressive scientific knowledge and understanding of the topics and concepts studied.
• A wide variety of skills developed through their scientific enquiry and investigations.
• A richer scientific vocabulary which will enable to articulate their understanding of taught concepts.
• An understanding of how Science is relevant to them, their lives now, and in the future.
• Enthusiasm for Science.
• High aspirations, which will see them through to further study, work and a successful adult life.

	Science Long Term Plan 2025-26 and 2026-27	[pdf 4MB]
	Science National Curriculum	[pdf 244KB]