Intent

At Kensworth, CE Academy, we believe that the learning of science provides a valuable educational, social and cultural experience for our pupils. Through our curriculum, we aim to develop a sense of excitement and curiosity about natural phenomena and an understanding of how the scientific community contributes to the past, present and future. We believe that by children exploring the world of Science, this gives children a new perspective of the world, encouraging them to appreciate how new knowledge and skills can be fundamental to solving arising global challenges.

Our curriculum aims for pupils to develop a complex knowledge of biology, chemistry and physics but also to adopt a broad range of skills in working scientifically and beyond. It is inclusive and meaningful so that all pupils may experience the joy of science and make associations between their science learning and their lives outside the classroom.

The curriculum aims to encourage critical thinking and empower pupils to question the ‘hows’ and ‘whys’ of the world around them.

Our curriculum encourages:

● A strong focus on developing knowledge alongside scientific skills across biology, chemistry and physics.

● Curiosity and excitement about familiar and unknown observations.

● Challenging misconceptions and demystifying truths.

● Continuous progression by building on practical and investigative skills across all units.

● Critical thinking, with the ability to ask perceptive questions and explain and analyse evidence. ● Development of scientific literacy using wide-ranging, specialist vocabulary.

Implementation

Our Science curriculum meets the aims of the National Curriculum by following key strands:

● Scientific knowledge and understanding of: 

-biology: living organisms and vital processes;

-chemistry: matter and its properties;

-physics: how the world we live in ‘works’.

● Working scientifically: processes and methods of science to answer questions about the world around us.

● Science in action: uses and implications of science in the past, present and for the future.

We use KAPOW Primary Science curriculum. This is a spiral curriculum, with essential knowledge and skills revisited with increasing complexity, allowing pupils to revise and build on their previous learning. A range of engaging recall activities promotes frequent pupil reflection on prior learning, ensuring new learning is approached with confidence. The Science in action strand is interwoven throughout the scheme to make the concepts and skills relevant to pupils and inspiring for future application. Cross-curricular links are included throughout each unit, allowing pupils to make connections and apply their science skills to other areas of learning.

Each unit is based on one of the key science disciplines: biology, chemistry and physics. The National curriculum content has been grouped into six key areas of science to show progression throughout the school: Plants. Animals, including humans. Living things and habitats. Materials. Energy. Forces, Earth and space.

Working scientifically skills are integrated with conceptual understanding rather than taught discretely to provide frequent but relevant opportunities for developing scientific enquiry skills.

In EYFS (Reception), pupils build a solid foundation for science before transitioning to Key stage 1. Through hands-on exploration and focused observations, lessons spark curiosity and foster an early appreciation for the natural environment, paving the way for more structured scientific learning in Key stage 1. Each year group has an optional exploratory unit called ‘making connections’ that delves beyond the statutory curriculum. This unit assimilates prior knowledge and skills to evoke excitement and provide an additional method of assessing scientific attainment. Lessons incorporate various teaching strategies, from independent tasks to paired and group work, including practical, creative, computer-based and collaborative tasks. This variety means that lessons are engaging and appeal to those with different learning styles. 

Guidance for adapting the learning is available for every lesson to ensure that all pupils can access Science lessons and opportunities to stretch their learning are available when required. Knowledge organisers for each unit help to identify key learning and vocabulary and can be useful as an adaptive teaching tool or to revise learning from the unit.

Impact

The impact of our Science curriculum is constantly monitored through both formative and summative assessment opportunities.

Within each lesson teachers assess pupils against the learning objectives and any relevant scientific enquiry skills.

Each unit has a unit quiz which is used at the end of the unit to provide a summative assessment. This is shared with the Science subject leader as part of our whole school monitoring and evaluation cycle.

The expected impact of our Science Curriculum is that pupils will:

● Develop early scientific thinking skills through hands-on exploration and sensory experiences in EYFS (Reception).

● Develop a body of foundational knowledge for the biology topics in the National curriculum: Plants; Animals, including humans; Living things and their habitats; and Evolution and inheritance.

● Develop a body of foundational knowledge for the chemistry topics in the National curriculum: Everyday materials; Uses of everyday materials; Properties and changes of materials; States of matter; and Rocks.

● Develop a body of foundational knowledge for the physics topics in the National curriculum: Seasonal changes; Forces and magnets; Sound; Light; Electricity; and Earth and space.

● Evaluate and identify the methods that ‘real world’ scientists use to develop and answer scientific questions.

● Identify and use equipment effectively to accurately gather, measure and record data.

● Be able to display and convey data in a variety of ways, including graphs.

● Analyse data to identify, classify, group and find patterns.

● Use evidence to formulate explanations and conclusions.

● Demonstrate scientific literacy through presenting concepts and communicating ideas using scientific vocabulary.

● Understand the importance of resilience and a growth mindset, particularly in reference to scientific enquiry.

● Meet the end of key stage expectations outlined in the National curriculum for science.