Intent

It is our intention to provide a Science curriculum to develop in all young people a lifelong curiosity and interest in the sciences, while recognising the importance of science in our everyday lives. When planning for the Science curriculum, we intend for children to have the opportunity, wherever possible, to learn through varied systematic investigations, leading to them being equipped for life to ask and answer scientific questions about the world around them. As children progress through the year groups, they build on their skills in working scientifically, as well as on their scientific knowledge, as they develop greater independence in planning and carrying out fair and comparative tests to answer a range of scientific questions. Each unit has an accompanying knowledge organiser which can be used to help reinforce the key vocabulary and knowledge for each unit as set out in the science national curriculum. The knowledge organisers help children to consolidate and retain the science knowledge they have learnt and also reinforce key scientific vocabulary from each unit. At Binbrook Church of England Primary School, our Science scheme of work ensures that children have a varied, progressive and well-mapped-out science curriculum that provides the opportunity for progression across the full breadth of the science national curriculum for KS1 and KS2.

Implementation

The acquisition of key scientific knowledge is an integral part of our science lessons. Linked knowledge organisers enable children to learn and retain the important, useful and powerful vocabulary and knowledge contained within each unit. The progression of skills for working scientifically are developed through the year groups and scientific enquiry skills are of key importance within lessons. The progression of these skills is set out within the Binbrook Church of England School Science Progression Map. Each lesson has a clear focus. Scientific knowledge and enquiry skills are developed with increasing depth and challenge as children move through the year groups. They complete investigations and hands-on activities while gaining the scientific knowledge for each unit. Interwoven into the teaching sequence are key assessment questions, identified in green on lesson plans. These allow teachers to assess children's levels of understanding at various points in the lesson. They also enable opportunities to recap concepts where necessary. The sequence of lessons helps to embed scientific knowledge and skills, with each lesson building on previous learning. There is also the opportunity to regularly review and evaluate children's understanding. Activities are effectively differentiated so that all children have an appropriate level of support and challenge. Lesson plans and detailed and include adult guidance to ensure that teachers are equipped with secure scientific subject knowledge, enabling them to deliver high-quality teaching and learning opportunities while making them aware of possible scientific misconceptions.

The EEF Document “Improving Primary Science at KS1 & KS2 Guidance Report” has informed our thinking (attached below). 

Impact

In Binbrook Primary’s Science, progress is measured through a child’s ability to know more, remember more and explain more. This can be measured in different ways in our units. The use of highlighted questions ensures opportunities are built into the lesson for ongoing assessment. Attainment and progress is currently measured through pre and post assessments, focused on retention and retrieval of the recent unit’s vocabulary and substantive knowledge. The learning environment across the school will be more consistent with science technical vocabulary displayed, spoken and used by all learners. Whole-school and parental engagement will be improved through the use of science-specific home learning tasks and shared use of knowledge organisers. Children who feel confident in their science knowledge and enquiry skills will be excited about science, show that they are actively curious to learn more and will see the relevance of what they learn in science lessons to real-life situations and also the importance of science in the real world.

	Binbrook Progression Map Science Programme of Study	[pdf 197KB]
	Binbrook Progression map Working Scientifically	[pdf 262KB]
	improving-primary-science-guidance-report-ks1-ks2	[pdf 3MB]