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Science Curriculum

Intent

At Launde, we have planned a high-quality science education for all children that is progressive. Our curriculum begins in foundation with Development Matters and then progresses alongside the National Curriculum objectives. We choose our content carefully, selecting topics which we believe are relevant to our children and our community. Content is taught in depth and wherever possible, we try to build in opportunities for cross-curricular learning.

Our priority at Launde is to make sure that children are empowered to make a difference in the world around them and are provided with the necessary skills and knowledge to help achieve and support this.  

Within our ambitious curriculum, we carefully plan in lessons and investigations to teach children essential scientific enquiry skills in order to create independently thinking scientists. We ensure that all children develop their own scientific knowledge and understanding through our rich, hands-on and exciting lessons and experiences. We want our children to develop the confidence to speak in front of others and share their opinions and reasoning. We want our children to be excited, curious and to be asking questions. 

We want our children to carry this curiosity forward, from primary school through to secondary school and from there to one of many career choices, using science on a daily basis to improve the world we live in and the lives of those around us.

Implementation

At Launde, we implement our learning objectives through small steps whilst also giving children the opportunity to access information in different ways and providing them with means of support along their journey. 

The curriculum has been carefully sequenced by experienced staff to ensure that children can steadily build upon their disciplinary skills, as well as increase their awareness of substantive science knowledge, as the curriculum progresses. At the start of each topic, knowledge organisers are provided which set out the substantive knowledge, scientific skills, terminology and other important information pertinent to each topic. Children are encouraged to use the organisers at the start of each new topic, during the topic itself and at the conclusion. They serve to introduce the topic, provide information and explanations, and to act as a review checklist to ensure no elements of learning have been overlooked. Used correctly they help children maximise their learning capabilities. Each topic is sequenced into weekly sessions where children are provided with exciting, hands-on experiences.

At Launde, we are aware that children often struggle to retain their learning and commit this to their long-term memories. Therefore, we start each topic by recapping from our previous learning by means of questions, hooks or stimuli. Throughout the topic, staff plan in specific investigations to assess children’s working and scientific skills, as well as an end of topic test in the form of an assessment. Results are recorded and tracked as the topic progresses. Children who are identified as potentially struggling are given differentiated support throughout.

We have a vast range of resources and equipment available in our Science Library which enables children to carry out practical and hands on experiments to support their learning. Children are encouraged to work together in teams to carry out investigations, and to respect and learn from one another’s opinions. All children are expected to participate.

Staff are provided with Tig Tag logins which help them to help plan and resource lessons and to keep updated with the latest professional development advice and to implement any advice accordingly. To support children’s learning further and raise awareness of science, we run a number of events throughout the year to engage children in further science learning. At Launde we are lucky to have a high percentage of our children’s parents who are, or have been involved, in STEM jobs. To inspire further generations to aspire to a STEM job, each year we involve our Year 6 students in a careers' event whereby we invite parents with STEM jobs to showcase their jobs at this event. They explain what they do, how this impacts the community and where possible, bring in tools, equipment, graphics and other resources to demonstrate. Children are able to look at or handle the equipment and ask questions. This event has proved to be hugely popular and a great influence on children’s aspirations and the parents involved were thrilled to be given the opportunity to work alongside potential future scientists.

Every year we also take part in British Science Week when we run poster competitions for children to showcase their favourite science learning to both parents and peers. We also run class competitions on topical environmental matters in order to raise awareness of world-wide issues. This gives children further chance to display their science knowledge and scientific skills. Our competitions run from Foundation stage to Year 6 and involve the whole school. Additionally, we work closely with an external provider, Aveeno, to run after school science clubs throughout the year for KS2 children to develop their scientific curiosity further.

To support parental engagement, we provide termly science newsletters, highlighting the learning being taught that term across the school as well as providing extra information on how to support science learning at home.

Impact

At Launde, we want to ensure that our science teaching helps children not only acquire the appropriate age related knowledge, but also skills which will provide the foundations for understanding the world through the specific disciplines of biology, chemistry and physics. Teachers will assess children at the end of each unit and this will be passed up with the cohort, so future teachers are aware of the strengths and weaknesses of the class. This gives teachers a strong understanding of whether certain objectives may need revising before knowledge is built on.

All children will have:

  • A wider variety of skills linked to scientific knowledge and understanding, and scientific enquiry/investigative skills.
  • Children will be able to refer to prior knowledge to support their learning in each year group and as a result, they will apply this to scientific enquiry/investigation.
  • A richer vocabulary which will enable to articulate their understanding of taught concepts.
  • High aspirations, which will see them through to further study, work and a successful adult life.