Science

At St. Mary’s Catholic Primary School, we want every child to be happy and enthusiastic learners of Science, and to be eager to achieve their very best in order to fulfil their God-given talents. We firmly believe that the recipe for success is high quality first-wave teaching in Science, which is central to the life of our happy, caring school.

Science teaching at St. Mary’s Catholic Primary 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 St. Mary’s we aim to promote a love of science and nurture and develop children as critical, creative and collaborative thinkers. Scientific enquiry skills are embedded in each topic the children study (where appropriate) and these topics are revisited and developed throughout their time at school. This model allows children to build upon their prior knowledge and increases their enthusiasm for the topics whilst embedding this procedural knowledge into the long-term memory.

All children are encouraged to develop and use a range of skills including observations, planning and investigations, as well as being encouraged to question the world around them and become independent learners in exploring possible answers for their scientific based questions. Specialist vocabulary for topics is taught and built up, and effective questioning to communicate ideas is encouraged. Concepts taught should be reinforced by focusing on the key features of scientific enquiry, so that pupils learn to use a variety of approaches to answer relevant scientific questions.

Intent – What we are trying to achieve

Our principal aim is that children leave St. Mary’s Catholic Primary School with a wide range of happy and rich memories in Science formed through interesting and exciting experiences driven through vehicles that enhance a child’s awareness of their own abilities and strengths as a learner; thus, ensuring that children see learning in Science as an ongoing process not a one-off event.

Children will meet the National Curriculum in Science which will be taught by highly-qualified staff who will support children to develop mastery of concepts and inspire enthusiasm and interest in the subject.

All children will study Science for two hours per week in Key Stage 2 and a minimum of one hour per week in Key Stage 1.

Opportunities will exist for children of all ages to experience learning beyond the classroom. This will allow them to enrich their knowledge by, for example, visiting science museums and universities.

Children will develop a deep understanding of the subject they are studying. They will increasingly use their prior knowledge to solve problems and develop the sophistication of Science.

Children will understand how Catholic virtues and British Values relate to Science.

In Science, children will develop the skills to appropriately use and select research and sources.

Children will develop a real understanding and appreciation of the world learning from the best that has been developed and said.

Characteristics of a Scientist

The ability to think independently and raise questions about working scientifically and the knowledge and skills that it brings.

Confidence and competence in the full range of practical skills, taking the initiative in, for example, planning and carrying out scientific investigations.

Excellent scientific knowledge and understanding which is demonstrated in written and verbal explanations, solving challenging problems and reporting scientific findings.

High levels of originality, imagination or innovation in the application of skills.

The ability to undertake practical work in a variety of contexts, including fieldwork.

A passion for science and its application in past, present and future technologies

Implementation – How do we translate our vision into practice?

The curriculum hours in Science are non-negotiable and will be followed by all staff in the school. Fixed timetables will be set before the academic year and monitored by the Senior Leadership Team of the school.

Where necessary, staff will receive training in Science.

Teachers have a sound understanding of the knowledge (including vocabulary) which the children must master.

Carefully designed schemes of learning in Science ensure consistency and progress of all learners.

Science is taught individually but plays a key role in the achievement of the learning aims of the topic. For example, a topic looking at designing an effective mode of transport would include the children learning about the science behind vehicles and how they move through different forces.

Through well-resourced science equipment, the children will gain practical science experiences in order to develop their understanding.

Online resources, such as Explorify, are used to promote science investigation and enable children to answer scientific questions.

Success criteria in every Science lesson are set in order to guide children to achieve their potential. This ensures work is demanding and matches the aims of the curriculum.

High quality teaching responds to the needs of children. Spiral learning is a key focus of all formative and summative assessment with teachers actively marking work in lessons in order to identify misconceptions early.

High quality input from experts and educational resources complement the delivery of specialist learning admirably. Children understand how Science is used in the wider world including careers.

Children are given challenging questions so that they are able to apply their science learning in a philosophical and open manner.

Actively promoting aspirations for the future. Children develop an understanding of how subjects and specific skills are linked to future jobs.

Here are some of the jobs you could aspire to do in the future as a Scientist:

Aquatic vet
Astronaut
Animal researcher
Marine biologist
Helicopter mission control
Weather presenter

Cultural Capital

Children will learn about areas of significant scientific interest such as flora, forna, geology and geomorphology (landforms). In addition, they will learn about famous scientists such as Albert Einstein, Marie Curie, TIm Peake, Sir David Attenborough, Jane Goodall and Charles Darwin. They will also experience the follow:

Meeting and talking to a scientist
Workshops with scientists
Experiences of industry through science
Visits to scientific industries
Visit to the Centre of Life
STEM centred session during Aspirations Week

Impact – What is the impact of our curriculum on the students?

Children are happy, feel cared for, and have excellent relationships with others. They know how to deal with challenges and have a range of strategies to overcome them.

Through science, children deepen their appreciation of their faith and their God-given talents.

Visits within Science have enriched the lives of the children and they are able to discuss how the experience impacted their knowledge and understanding.

Children of all abilities and backgrounds achieve well in Science, reflected in outstanding progress that reveals a clear learning journey. Children talk enthusiastically about their learning in Science and are eager to further their learning in the next stages of their education.

There is a proven track record of outstanding outcomes as shown in pupils’ scientific ability, their books and their enjoyment of the subject. These indicators reflect the impact of deep learning.

Clear outcomes focus and guide Science development plans and drive improvement.

Children are confident, resilient and actively engaged in the wider society.

Fundamental British Values are evident in the school and understood by all members of the community.

Inspire the students to follow a pathway towards a scientific career.

Through wider reading in Science, children will know how science influenced and is central to our everyday lives and how scientist influenced improvement to our lives.