At Mansfield Green E-ACT Primary Academy, our aim is for pupils to develop scientific knowledge and understanding of nature, vocabulary and the processes and methods of science.
Intent, Implementation and Impact
The acquisition of key scientific knowledge is an integral part of our science lessons. All teachers have excellent subject knowledge and create a positive attitude to science learning within their classrooms. All staff promote the expectation that every child is capable of achieving high standards in science. Our whole school approach to the teaching and learning of science involves the following;
- A knowledge organiser which outlines knowledge (including vocabulary) all children must master;
- Knowledge Organiser Quizzes to track progress and to support learners’ ability to block learning and increase space in the working memory;
- A sequence of lessons for each topic, which carefully plans for progression and depth;
- Trips and visits from experts who will enhance the learning experience
As part of our weekly Science lessons, teachers plan opportunities for problem solving where the children are guided to plan, question and discover for themselves. Children are encouraged to use and develop their scientific skills, often using a range of scientific evidence and secondary sources of information to discover the answers independently.
Planning involves teachers creating engaging lessons, involving high-quality resources to aid understanding of conceptual knowledge. Teachers use precise questioning in class to test conceptual knowledge and skills, and assess children regularly to identify those children with gaps in learning, so that all children keep up. Where possible, teachers make cross curricular links and ensure children are given opportunities to apply their mathematical knowledge to their understanding of Science.
We build upon the learning and skill development of the previous years. Teachers plan to consolidate and build on skills learnt, including using scientific equipment, recording and presenting data and collating and interpreting results, enabling children to become increasingly confident in their growing ability to come to conclusions based on real evidence.
Scientific Skills are embedded into every lesson to enable the acquisition and application of these skills to develop throughout the children’s time with us at Mansfield Green.
To ensure high standards of Science teaching and learning across the school, we implement a curriculum that is progressive throughout the whole school. We have developed a clear and comprehensive scheme of work that is in line with the National Curriculum.
The 2014 National Curriculum for Science aims to ensure that all children:
- develop scientific knowledge and conceptual understanding through the specific disciplines of biology, chemistry and physics
- develop understanding of the nature, processes and methods of science through different types of science enquiries that help them to answer scientific questions about the world around them
- are equipped with the scientific knowledge required to understand the uses and implications of science, today and for the future
Overview
Here you can see an overview of what the children will be learning throughout the school this academic year
Knowledge Organisers
Knowledge organisers that are provided to the children and can be referred back to throughout their Science focus.
