Intent
At North Lancing School, we want to enable children to become enquiry based learners collaborating through researching, investigating and evaluating experiences.
Our aim is to provide a curriculum that develops a sense of excitement and curiosity about natural phenomena and a respect for the physical environment and living organisms.
Teachers will ensure the science lessons are meaningful for the children, with a hook to draw on their interests and real life experiences. They will be encouraged to ask questions about the world around them and work scientifically to further their conceptual understanding and scientific knowledge.
Children will be immersed in key scientific vocabulary, which supports in the acquisition of scientific knowledge and understanding.
Implementation
At North Lancing Primary School we ensure that learning is progressive and continuously building from prior knowledge.
Our curriculum is built around our school’s values of collaboration, independence, perseverance, resilience and individuality.
Working scientifically is central to our curriculum. Throughout a topic, children are encouraged to use the following skills to broaden their knowledge and understanding:
- observing changes over time
- noticing patterns, grouping and classifying things
- carrying out simple comparative and fair tests
- finding things out using secondary sources of information
- drawing simple conclusions
- using scientific language to talk and write about what they have found out.
- collecting, presenting and analysing data.
In the early years, the children explore their surroundings and local area, asking questions and making careful observations of the world around them.
In Key stage 1, pupils develop their scientific enquiry skills through simple practical investigations where they are given the opportunity to ask and answer their own questions when learning about new concepts. Children research and learn about prominent people in the science world.
In Key Stage 2, pupils test and develop their own ideas and decide which type of scientific enquiry is likely to be the best way to answer their questions.
Impact
Children at North Lancing School will:
- demonstrate a love of science work and an interest in further study and work in this field
- retain knowledge that is pertinent to Science with a real life context.
- be able to question ideas and reflect on knowledge.
- be able to articulate their understanding of scientific concepts and be able to reason scientifically using rich language linked to science.
- demonstrate a high love of mathematical skills through their work, organising, recording and interpreting results.
- work collaboratively and practically to investigate and experiment.
- achieve age related expectations in Science at the end of their cohort year.