Curriculum Statement
Science Curriculum Statement.
At St Joseph’s Catholic Primary School we want every child to be a happy and enthusiastic learner of Science, and to be eager to achieve their very best in order to fulfil their God-given talents. We firmly believe that the recipe for success is high quality first-wave teaching in Science, which is central to the life of our happy, caring school.
Curriculum Leader: Mrs. Price
Intent
Our science curriculum aims to provide the foundations for understanding the world through the specific disciplines of biology, chemistry and physics.
The national curriculum for science aims to ensure that all pupils:
- 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.
We aim to motivate and inspire children through a curriculum that stimulates, engages and challenges all learners. Our curriculum aims to develop key scientific knowledge and concepts, whilst instilling a sense of excitement and curiosity about natural phenomena.
Science at St Joseph’s is designed to deepen knowledge and develop skills, with literacy at the heart, ensuring effective progression across all year groups. Specialist vocabulary for science units is taught and built upon, and effective questioning to communicate ideas is encouraged.
Implementation
In science, we implement an inclusive curriculum that meets the statutory requirements of the National Curriculum.
It is timetabled for 2 hours per week in Key stage 2 and 1 hour per week in Key stage 1.
We have carefully sequenced the curriculum to ensure that progression is made year on year (please see whole school overview).
The curriculum overview document shows progression between year groups based on the 3 strands of science: Chemistry, Biology and Physics.
Working Scientifically skills are explicit in lessons to ensure these skills are being developed throughout the children’s school career, and new vocabulary and challenging concepts are introduced. Through careful planning, we involve problem solving opportunities, allowing children to find out for themselves how to answer questions in a variety of practical means. Children are encouraged to ask their own questions and be given appropriate equipment to use their scientific skills to discover the answers.
At the beginning of each science lesson, children demonstrate their prior knowledge, which informs planning and teaching. A series of stimulating lessons are planned, with clear knowledge and skills -based learning objectives and subject-specific vocabulary. Post-learning tasks are planned to demonstrate progress, knowledge and understanding. Teachers assess learning in science against knowledge-based and skill-based learning objectives.
Our curriculum is delivered through highly effective ‘quality first teaching’. Enrichment opportunities, including outdoor learning, inspirational visitors and exciting educational visits, provide our children with rich experiences and enhance teaching, learning and knowledge.
We base our curriculum on a scheme called Grammarsaurus, but we adapt the scheme to suit our learners.
Impact
Our well-planned science curriculum ensures that children are given essential knowledge, skills and concepts to understand how science can be used to explain what is occurring, how things behave and to analyse causes.
All pupils’ learning is progressive, developmental and most of all stimulating to their general interest. Children develop the skills of creativity, perseverance and co-operation to enhance their ability to learn confidently in the whole curriculum.