Science subject coordinator – Mrs Bhandal
Intent
The 2014 National Curriculum for Science aims to ensure that all children:
- 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 skills required to understand the uses and implications of science, today and for the future. We understand that it is important for lessons to have a skills-based focus, and that the knowledge can be taught through this
Science teaching at Moat Farm Infant School aims to give all children a strong understanding of the world around them whilst acquiring specific skills and knowledge to help them to think scientifically, to gain an understanding of scientific processes and also an understanding of the uses and implications of Science, today and for the future.
At Moat Farm Infant School, Science provides children with the opportunity to be curious, make predictions, ask simple questions and recognise that they can be answered in different ways, observe closely, use simple equipment, perform simple tests, identify and classify, use observations and ideas to suggest answers to questions, gather and record date to help answer questions.
Implementation
There are four main areas in the teaching of Science:
- Scientific enquiry:
Children are given the opportunity to use first hand experiences and simple sources of information to ask and answer questions. The emphasis is on learning scientific skills such as sorting, describing, questioning, planning and carrying out investigations, collecting and presenting results and finding conclusions.
- Life processes and living things: (Biology) Children are encouraged to recognise similarities and differences between living and non-living things. They learn about the human body, their senses, plants and what living things need to stay alive.
- Materials and their properties: (Chemistry) Children are given the opportunity to explore different materials, sort them according to their properties and consider how some materials can be changed.
- Earth and Space: (Physics)
Children are encouraged to observe and describe changes across the four seasons.
Science is considered as a core subject at Moat Farm Infant School. When planning science, staff ensure that our school gives full coverage of, ‘The National Curriculum programmes of study for Science 2014’ and, ‘Understanding of the World’ in the Early Years Foundation Stage. Working Scientifically skills are embedded into lessons to ensure these skills are being developed throughout the children’s school career and new vocabulary and challenging concepts are introduced through direct teaching. This is developed through the years, in-keeping with the topics.
All year groups focus on a science area of learning during the half term. It is taught, in the classroom but, importantly, opportunities for Science learning during Forest School is used in year 1. This supports the use of the outdoor environment which enhances children’s learning, wherever possible. In year 1, science is taught in block units to allow for a project-based approach. Year 2 builds on the science learning and skills from year 1 and is taught every week. This is a strategy to enable the achievement of a greater depth of knowledge. Science week is celebrated every year across the school and there are also cross curricular opportunities, when possible. Trips and visits from experts who will enhance the learning experience are used where appropriate. These are purposeful and link with the knowledge being taught in class. Knowledge and skills are often revisited through retrieval practise strategies such as quizzes, games and starter activities so children can retain information in their long term memory.
Impact
The impact of our curriculum is that by the end of each topic, the vast majority of pupils will have sustained mastery of the content, that is, they remember it all and are fluent in it; some pupils have a greater depth of understanding.
The teaching and learning approach at Moat Farm Infant school results in a fun, engaging, high-quality science education, that provides children with the foundations and knowledge for understanding the world. Out teaching experiences ensure that children learn through varied and first-hand experiences of the world around them.
The impact and measure of this is to ensure children not only acquire the appropriate age-related knowledge linked to the science curriculum, but also skills which equip them to progress from their starting points, and within their everyday lives.
All children will have:
- A wider variety of skills linked to both scientific knowledge and understanding, and scientific enquiry/investigative skills.
- 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.
Please click to download:
MFI Science Information Leaflet
Useful websites:
Reception – science experiments
https://www.bbc.co.uk/cbeebies/curations/science-activities
Year 1 – Video clips about animals, plants, the Human body, habitats and the animal, materials and seasons
https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/subjects/z6svr82
Year 1 – Animals and nature, human body- keeping healthy/the senses and materials
Year 1 – Grouping animals, materials 2, body parts, plant labels and weather forecast
http://www.crickweb.co.uk/ks1science.html
Year 1 – Life and living things, parts of the body, plants and properties of different materials
https://www.theschoolrun.com/ks1/key-stage-1-science
Year 2 – Video clips about animals, plants, habitats and the environment and materials
https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/subjects/z6svr82
Year 2 – Animals and nature, human body- keeping healthy and materials
Year 2 – Grouping animals, adult and baby animals, materials 1 and 2
http://www.crickweb.co.uk/ks1science.html
Year 2 – Life and living things, plants and properties of different materials
