SCIENCE:          Science is a key aspect of the national curriculum which relates to

many other areas of the primary curriculum.

“It is important to view knowledge as sort of a semantic tree – make sure you understand the fundamental principles i.e. the trunk and big branches, before you get into the leaves/details or there is nothing for them to hang on to.”  Elon Musk

Vision

At Freshfield, we value science as a subject which stimulates awe and wonder in our everyday lives. We believe science can have a transformative effect on children, helping them to become curious and inspired by the world around them. We believe that a high-quality science education should engage, stimulate and challenge pupils, equipping them with the knowledge and skills to better understand their life and their planet.  We encourage children to learn from, be inspired by the work of great scientists, and understand the contribution science has made to society, both past and present. As pupils progress, we support them to be able to pose increasingly complex scientific questions and carry out experiments to work accurately and analytically.

How we plan for and teach science

At Freshfield, science is taught every half term. Teachers plan sequences of lessons across the unit that will build on and develop the children’s knowledge and skills. Each unit of learning has a strong foundation in new knowledge – linked to prior knowledge – that will support the children to understand increasingly complex scientific phenomena and processes. Scientific vocabulary is mapped and taught rigorously to ensure that children can both recognise, understand and use scientific terminology accurately and confidently. Opportunities to learn outdoors and explore our natural environment are embedded throughout our science curriculum.

Carefully selected knowledge is planned to best match each unit of work and progress year on year. Opportunities to practise and embed disciplinary and substantive knowledge are planned for so that they are revisited and refined over time. The disciplinary and substantive knowledge that children will develop throughout each science topic are mapped across each year group and across the school to ensure progression.

How we evaluate learning in science

The impact of our science curriculum can clearly be seen in the children’s books. At the beginning of each unit, a detailed overview (Knowledge Organiser) outlines the main knowledge that the children will build on. Throughout a unit of work, children complete low-stakes quizzing or short assessments and receive feedback. Class teachers then use the children’s class learning and assessments, along with observations of their skills when carrying out experiments and investigations, to make a judgement as to whether each child is working at the expected level and to plan for next steps.

Please click here for more detailed information about Science learning in each year group.