Intent

Our aim at Priory Park Infant School is to provide a curriculum that will promote a love of learning in Science. We recognise the importance of Science in every aspect of daily life. We offer a curriculum that evokes curiosity and excitement in children about the world around them and encourages them to care for and respect living things and their environment right from the Early Years and into Key Stage One. Following good practice, we use stories, rhymes, songs and oral rehearsal as ways to promote positive learning experiences for the children within our school.

We believe science encompasses the acquisition of knowledge, concepts, skills and positive attitudes that are gained over a period of time during a child’s education. Therefore, the curriculum is planned to ensure progression within these aspects and allow them to be embedded within their long term memory. Subject specific vocabulary is taught and built upon throughout each year to ensure accurate conceptual understanding and application within Scientific areas of enquiry.

 Implementation

We recognise that children learn through enquiry-based learning, therefore, Science is structured to allow first hand experiences guided and scaffolded by Teachers. Science experiences take place not only in the classroom, but through activities at Forest School with our experienced staff who plan sessions in detail that include scientific knowledge and skills. Teachers also arrange field trips within the local area to enhance and build upon children’s learning and provide cultural capital.

Children will secure a deep level of knowledge and transferrable skills that will be retained and applied successfully as they move through the school and progress into KS2. They will be able to apply these confidently to new situations when problem solving and building upon what they have already learnt. We aim to achieve this by:

• Providing knowledge and concepts through the specific disciplines of Science (Biology, Chemistry and Physics).
• Teaching ‘Topics’ in manageable chunks that are revisited throughout each academic year to revise, consolidate and build upon knowledge and understanding.

• In addition, learning is ‘interleaved’ within lessons through a variety of experiences such as forest school, outdoor learning and continuous/enhanced provision activities, whereby pupils are encouraged to be curious and explore their own areas of enquiry.

• Providing Science specific vocabulary to be taught, revisited and applied regularly within scientific activities and during everyday classroom discussion. E.g. referring to weather and seasons, referring to knowledge of animals at story time…etc.

• Working Scientifically skills are planned for within each lesson and explicitly modelled and supported by Teachers during the lessons. New vocabulary and concepts are developed and progressed throughout each year with Teacher support.

• Use of equipment is modelled when developing Working Scientifically skills and Teachers support pupils in how to use these appropriately.

Impact

At Priory Park Infant School our children achieve their full potential in science and marvel at the awe and wonder of science within every aspect of our daily lives. We recognise the value of learning experiences beyond the classroom, particularly in the outdoors and this enables the children to be inquisitive and relate to the world around them.

The children are able recall the rich learning experiences they have been provided with and know that each new taught concept provides a new, or builds on an existing, learning block. Our children are able to think critically, ask questions and apply the knowledge and skills they have acquired in a range of situations.