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Science
Curriculum Intent
At St George’s CE Primary School we value the importance of Science as a core subject and the role it plays in developing a child’s knowledge and understanding of the world around them. We believe that Science stimulates a child’s curiosity and equips them with fundamental life skills such as problem solving, team- work, resilience and respect of the world around them whilst supporting our vision of ‘life in all its fullness’.
Our science curriculum is divided into substantive and disciplinary knowledge. Definitions of substantive and disciplinary knowledge are as follows.
- substantive knowledge (knowledge of the products of science, such as concepts, laws, theories and models) This is referred to as scientific knowledge and conceptual understanding in the national curriculum
- disciplinary knowledge (knowledge of how scientific knowledge is generated and grows): this is specified in the ‘working scientifically’ sections of the national curriculum and it includes knowing how to carry out practical procedures.
Disciplinary knowledge should not be taught as a stand- alone unit of work. It should be embedded within the substantive content of biology, chemistry and physics. Disciplinary thinking and carrying out practical investigations skillfully are dependent on pupils having learned a domain of knowledge, for example, children must be taught the knowledge of what a branching diagram is before trying to use or produce one themselves.
Our curriculum plan identifies big questions that cover six areas of enquiry: identifying and classifying, comparative tests, research, pattern seeking, observing over time and exploring how scientific ideas have changed over time. We aim to cover all areas of enquiry during a unit of work and use the big questions to stimulate our learning.
At St George’s CE Primary School, in conjunction with the aims of the National Curriculum, our Science teaching offers opportunities to:
- Stimulate children’s interest and enjoyment in Science and to build on their enthusiasm and natural sense of wonder about the world.
- To encourage and enable pupils to offer their own suggestions, and to be creative in their approach to Science.
- Be equipped with the scientific knowledge required to understand the uses and implications of Science, today and for the future.
- Develop scientific knowledge and conceptual understanding through the specific disciplines of Biology, Chemistry and Physics.
- To develop pupils working scientifically skills to deepen their scientific knowledge.
- Enable children to develop their skills of co-operation through working with others.
- Use a range of methods to communicate their scientific information and present it in a systematic, scientific manner, including I.C.T., diagrams, graphs and charts.
- Help children to recognise and assess risks and hazards to themselves and to others when working with living things and materials and to take action to control them.
A detailed whole school curriculum plan is available upon request.
Early Years Science Curriculum Plan
News
Recently, year 4 pupils were treated to an afternoon being engineers; creating and solving problems. Their task was to build a bridge and a machine that would put the bridge in place. Sarah Laylor from STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) Worcestershire, visited and presented the task. The children were thoroughly engaged, working together with the Technics kits to create super solutions. The winners were Lia and Rosalind, who will go on to represent the school at the finals in June.
