Science at Brundall Primary School is very much a practical part of the curriculum that enables our children to be ‘Scientists’, making sense of the world around them through exploration, investigation and discovery. Through practical and meaningful experiences, we seek to develop the key scientific knowledge and the skills of observation, questioning, exploration and investigation to prepare our children for life in an increasingly scientific and technological world. Scientific enquiry skills are embedded in each topic the children study and these topics are revisited and developed throughout their time at school. Our curriculum offers a wealth of experiences and ideas that encourage children’s natural curiosity, inspiring awe and wonder.
By the time children at Brundall Primary School leave our school, they will have developed an enjoyment of scientific learning and a love of science. They will have an understanding and knowledge of scientific processes and developed the skills of investigation – including planning, observing, measuring, predicting, hypothesising, experimenting, communicating, interpreting, explaining and evaluating, with the use of scientific language. They will have developed the skills of working cooperatively with others and be able to tackle problems confidently and resiliently.
Children will have developed a respect for living and non-living things, building upon their own natural curiosity of the world around them and ask questions. They will have become effective communicators of scientific ideas, facts and data.
Most importantly they will have high aspirations, which will see them through to further study, work and a successful adult life.
Our curriculum documents are designed to ensure that the knowledge, skills and vocabulary are mapped out and children’s understanding and learning is built on each year. The aim is for our children to leave KS2 ready to take on the challenge of a subject-based timetable at secondary level and with a passion for learning and knowledge.
We teach the National Curriculum and ensure that skills and knowledge are built on year by year and sequenced appropriately to maximise learning for all children. Each phase group has a long term plan (2 year rolling plan) which allows meaningful links to be made across subjects during a half term. This provides children with the opportunity to apply their knowledge in different contexts which will help them to remember more. Skills and knowledge are built on year by year and sequenced appropriately to maximise learning for all children.
Successful timetabling is key to the success of the curriculum delivery. We have deliver our direct science teaching in 2 week blocks, dedicating three 2 hour sessions a week, over the two week period to science. Medium Term Plans are written by year groups with the support of the Subject Leads to ensure the necessary coverage and progression as set out in the Curriculum documents. For Science, planning from The Association for Science Education (ASE) has been used to create a curriculum that is broad, balanced and deep. The Science Subject Lead has created a LTP for each year group which maps skills, knowledge and vocabulary. This is carefully mapped out to ensure that learning is progressive, also allowing the teacher to link scientific knowledge with other curriculum areas, which allows retrieval of information over an academic year, with connections made across a variety of subjects. As well as block week lessons each year group will regular complete retrieval tasks with their classes, including quizzes and link learning to other curriculum subjects. The class teacher, supported by the science subject lead, will also organise trips and visits, throughout the year, from experts who will enhance the learning experience, inspire children and open up the world of work and future careers.
Sessions begin with retrieval opportunities which will be recorded in floor books. These are to allow children to recall previous knowledge to help them learn more and remember more. For discussion or practical based sessions, the record in books may be photographic, showing the practical activity in progress or an image of the class flipchart / screen to which ideas have been contributed. In this way, children will be reminded of the work they have undertaken and be able to discuss and explain their learning.
