Science at Plympton St Maurice Primary School

At Plympton St Maurice we believe Science should be purposeful and inject a sense of excitement and anticipation as to what the children may be learning next. Science is taught in each year group based on the 2014 National Curriculum objectives. Our Science curriculum is designed to meet the content requirements of the agreed syllabus. There is a set amount of time specified for each year group. Through our Science lessons, we aim for children to develop Life skills, Understanding, Nurture curiosity, Aspiration and Resilience.

Intent:

• To develop a love of science; to enthuse children and make learning fun.
• To build on children’s curiosity and sense of awe in the natural world.
• To ensure children experience all five scientific enquiries: observation, testing, research, classifying and identifying and pattern seeking by becoming scientists in the classroom.
• To make learning purposeful, to make cross curricular links and for children to experience ‘real life’ concepts. (Maths, English, Computing in particular)
• To increase children’s scientific vocabulary and the language of science.
• To ensure children use a range of equipment accurately and safely through hands on investigations and observations.
• To develop learning in the outdoors; to increase children’s confidence and natural curiosity of the world around them.
• To give children varied opportunities, through active participation. All children are exploring and following their own lines of enquiry. At times investigations are child led.
• To make sense of the world they live in and understand the processes and reasons why things happen. To understand and make a difference to the world e.g. how to look after the environment, how to stay fit and healthy.
• To develop a range of skills through the working scientifically stand of the curriculum: measuring, analysing, presenting and reasoning.
• To develop children’s aspirations of potential careers in science through talking about the work of scientists and how they can make a difference to others.
• To introduce STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) into the curriculum so that children can work on project based investigations which involve a range of skills across the curriculum.

Implementation

A high-quality science education provides the foundations for understanding the world through the specific disciplines of biology, chemistry and physics. All children are taught essential aspects of the knowledge, methods, processes and uses of science.  Through building up a body of key foundational knowledge and concepts, children are encouraged to recognise the power of rational explanation and develop a sense of excitement and curiosity about natural phenomena.  Children are encouraged to understand how science can be used to explain what is occurring, predict how things will behave, and analyse causes.  Children will be working as scientists to explore through hands on activities to create a sense of awe and wonder about the world they live in. Science at Plympton St Maurice encourages rich questioning which stimulates thinking and makes children want to find out the answers to these ‘real life’ problems.

Children need to be exposed to all five types of scientific enquiry:

• observation over time
• research
• pattern seeking
• classifying and identifying
• comparative/fair testing.

Children learn about scientists who have made a difference in society and think about the role they play in the real world.

Our Science curriculum encompasses:

Social and emotional learning,

Talk,

Mastery Learning,

the Arts,

Understand Learning,

Resilience,

Independent Personal learning and thinking,

Collaborative Learning and

Experience rich curriculum.

Impact

Children achieve well: they not only acquire the necessary knowledge but also understand its value, enjoy the experience of working scientifically and sustain their interest in learning it.  Children go on to study science beyond secondary school in further education, and as a career path in life.