Science

Statement of Intent for Science

At Canon Popham C of E Primary Academy we seek to stimulate the minds of our children; to encourage questioning and a thirst to find out answers. The Scientific area of learning is concerned with increasing pupils’ knowledge and understanding of our world, and with developing skills associated with Science as a process of enquiry. It will develop the natural curiosity of the child, build their science capital, encourage respect for living organisms and the physical environment and provide opportunities for critical evaluation of evidence. We believe that the children should be fully engaged in their learning and have developed a Canon Popham Science Code with both the children, teachers, governors and parents to achieve this.

Implementation

At Canon Popham teachers create a positive attitude to science learning within their classrooms and reinforce an expectation that all children are capable of achieving high standards in science. Our whole school approach to the teaching and learning of science involves the following;

Science will be taught every week in both key stages. We follow the Snap Science scheme which meets the aims of the new National Curriculum for Science.

The scheme has science enquiry at its heart and requires children to learn to use a variety of approaches to answer relevant scientific questions. Each module is made up of a carefully planned series of lessons which will engage children in the different types of science enquiry identified in the National Curriculum, where they will use and develop the necessary investigative skills and attributes identified for each Key Stage phase. All lessons are stimulated by a question for children to answer, a scientific phenomenon to investigate or a problem to solve.

Although we follow this planning, we also encourage children to ask their own questions and give them opportunities to use their scientific skills and research to discover the answers. This curiosity is celebrated within the classroom. Teachers use precise questioning in class to test conceptual knowledge and skills, and assess children regularly using active assessments to identify those children with gaps in learning. Those with gaps are identified and given extra support until they grasp the concepts.
Teachers are encouraged to use their own autonomy and use other resources which will complement the scheme such as STEM activities and recourses which stimulate curiosity such as ‘Explorify’.
We build upon the learning and skill development of the previous years. As the children’s knowledge and understanding increases, and they become more proficient in selecting, using scientific equipment, collating and interpreting results, they become increasingly confident in their growing ability to come to conclusions based on real evidence.
Working Scientifically skills (disciplinary knowledge) 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 modules. The types of enquiry are made explicit to the children and when answering their own questions, they become more skilled at stating which type of enquiry is required to answer them.
Teachers demonstrate how to use scientific equipment, and the various Working Scientifically skills (disciplinary knowledge) in order to embed scientific understanding. Teachers find opportunities to develop children’s understanding of their surroundings by accessing outdoor learning wherever possible.
British Values and PSHE-Children will learn and revisit the importance of our world and how it should be treated.
Christian Values– Children will learn about their world whilst encompassing compassion, thankfulness and hope.

Impact

Children will achieve age related expectations in Science at the end of their cohort year.
Children will retain substantive knowledge that is pertinent to Science with a real-life context.
Children will be able to question ideas and reflect on both disciplinary and substantive knowledge.
Children will know all the types of scientific enquiry and be able to choose the one that will help them answer their own, and other, questions.
Children will work collaboratively and practically to investigate and experiment.
Children will be able to explain the process they have taken and be able to reason scientifically.
Children will see themselves as scientists in our modern world and build their science capital through stimulating science lessons, working with parents at home and through outdoor learning.

Science Curriculum Planning Learning in EYFS Science KS1 Canon Popham C of E Primary Academy Science Disciplinary and Substantive Knowledge Progression KS2 Canon Popham C of E Primary Academy Science Disciplinary and Substantive Knowledge Progression

At Canon Popham, we value scientific exploration, and follow the Canon Popham Science Code…

Progression Charts

The National Curriculum Programme of Study for Science describes a sequence of knowledge and concepts, processes and methods. This sequence of knowledge and concepts is arranged as progressive blocks of key ideas in biology, chemistry and physics, alongside a progression in the skills of working scientifically.
The conceptual ideas in Biology, Chemistry and Physics build on each other and children need to develop a strong understanding of each set of ideas in order for the next set to make sense and for them to make progress. The Programme of Study is set out year by year for Key stages 1 and 2 but each science topic is not covered in every year. It is therefore important that teachers and children know where each block of ideas fi ts into the overall sequence.
In the Snap Science Progression Charts the key ideas within Biology, Chemistry and Physics in the National Curriculum are arranged to show how they are related to each other and how one idea builds on another. The National Curriculum statements have been edited into key ideas statements.
The source of each key idea is identified by the year group and the Programme of Study topic heading. Some additional statements have been added to make important links between ideas.
Working Scientifically is taught throughout KS1 and 2, embedded within the content of Biology, Chemistry and Physics. The National Curriculum Programme of Study for Working Scientifically outlines the practical scientific methods, processes and skills that children must be taught to use, divided into three two-year blocks. In every lesson in Snap Science children will use their developing science inquiry skills to answer scientific questions. The Snap Science Progression Chart for Working Scientifically exemplifies the progression in these skills in the key areas of raising questions and planning, collecting and presenting data, drawing and evaluating conclusions.

This progression underpins the sequence of teaching and learning in each Snap Science module and between year groups.

Science Spiral Curriculum Progression charts

Working Scientifically Progression charts

Science Module Overview charts

Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Year 4 Year 5 Year 6

Click here for our Spontaneous Science Gallery!

SCIENCE EXPERIMENTS FOR KIDS