Science

Through the use of Grammarsaurus, we aim to ensure that pupils following our sequence of learning have ample opportunity to make progress in science by knowing and remembering more science content.

Lessons in Science include teaching input which recalls information from the previous step, thinking time and opportunities to add to working walls and a clear vocabulary focus. Children are provided with an independent activity which can be differentiated to meet the needs of the learner. A challenge activity encourages children to think deeply about the learning objective and use their reasoning skills in explanation. At the end of the lesson a next step activity encourages children to make links between the sequence of learning. Working Scientifically skills are embedded into lessons to ensure those skills are developed throughout the Science curriculum.

In order to share key vocabulary and definitions with parents, we complete a half termly Subject Knowledge Organiser. This organiser also contains any key aspects of the curriculum that will be taught that half term.

The blocks taught in Key Stage One cover the Programmes of Study from the National Curriculum and include:

Biology Content

• Animals including Humans
• Plants
• Living Things and their Habitats

Chemistry Content

• Materials

Physics Content

• Seasonal changes

In the Early Years, children focus on achieving the Early Learning Goals for Understanding the World and Personal, Social and Emotional Development. This includes;

Understanding the World: The Natural World

• Explore the natural world around them, making observations and drawing pictures of animals and plants
• Know some similarities and differences between the natural world around them and contrasting environments, drawing on their experiences and what has been read in class
• Understand some important processes and changes in the natural world around them, including the seasons and changing states of matter

Personal, Social and Emotional Development – managing self

• Manage their own basic hygiene and personal needs, including dressing, going to the toilet and understanding the importance of healthy foo

For further information including Inclusion, Unicef Rights and British Values in Science please see our school Science Policy.

As part of the sequence of learning, when children are being introduced to a new concept we begin to think about what we already know as when prior learning is retrieved children can create a schema so that new information is more likely to be committed to the long term store. Throughout learning retrieval and recall means teachers have the opportunity to address misconceptions in the moment. A well thought out sequence of learning and explicit vocabulary means that children are given the opportunity to use and embed progressive scientific vocabulary.

Learning in books that are carried through Key Stage One, should reflect that Science is a spiral curriculum and children should be able to reflect on prior learning as a way to strengthen new knowledge

In Early Years, teachers track the progress of pupils according to the statements in the Early Years Foundation Stage Profile. In Key Stage One children, We measure the impact by regularly assessing against National Curriculum objectives. Through-out school, Tapestry is used as our assessment tool in order to track progress. At the end of Year 2, children are assessed according to the End of Key Stage Assessment framework which is then shared with parents.

At Walmley Infant School, we understand the importance of establishing a strong foundation of conceptual understanding and how these impact on the rest of a child’s learning in Science.