Science

Intent

At Dilton Marsh CofE Primary School we believe that a high quality science education provides the foundations for understanding the world around us. Throughout time, Science has changed our lives and is vital to the world’s future prosperity, and all pupils should be taught essential aspects of the knowledge, methods, processes and uses of science. Pupils should be encouraged to recognise the power of rational explanation and develop a sense of excitement and curiosity about the world around them.

Our science curriculum is designed to equip children for their future; teaching a balance of knowledge and skills which are progressive in all areas of learning. The curriculum is built around a strong foundation with phonics and early reading at the heart of all we do for we believe the ability to read is the fundamental key for future leaning.

At Dilton Marsh we are inclusive by design, celebrating the diversity within our school family and further afield.  The nurture, compassion and kindness we demonstrate is harnessed in clear routines and explicit expectations ensuring our children feel safe and develop a strong sense of belonging from the outset.

‘A place to belong and grow together’ enables pupils at Dilton Marsh to have the determination to overcome challenges they may face. This is underpinned by our 4 key values, Belong, Encourage, Endure and Serve. Our aim at Dilton Marsh CofE Primary School is to ‘grow’ individuals who are aspirational, resilient and determined and leave our school as confident individuals who will make valid contributions to our future society.

Science in our school is about developing children’s ideas and ways of working that enable them to make sense of the world in which they live through working scientifically and understanding different scientific strands. The staff at Dilton Marsh C of E ensure that all children are exposed to high quality teaching and learning experiences, which allow children to explore their outdoor environment.

We aim to immerse our children in different scientific vocabulary to aid their knowledge and understanding. We intend to provide all children with a broad, balance and stimulating science curriculum.

Implementation

In ensuring high standards of teaching and learning in science, we implement a curriculum that is progressive throughout the whole school.

Planning for science is a process in which all teachers are involved to ensure that the school gives full coverage of, ‘The National Curriculum programmes of study for Science 2014’ and, ‘The Natural World’ in the Early Years Foundation Stage. Science teaching at Dilton Marsh C of E Primary School involves adapting and extending the curriculum to match all pupils’ needs. We aim to stretch and challenge the most able and develop the independence and confidence for the less able learners too all meet their full potential and beyond.

Science is taught as discrete weely lessons to ensure coverage and depth to a specific area. Each year group accesses a block of science each term and is fully immersed in the concept for the duration of that block. We ensure progression between our year groups by focussing on what has been previously taught and focussing on what the children are working towards through a carefully planned progressive curriculum. Where possible, teachers plan to suit their children’s interests, current events and teaching style and we endeavour to continuously develop our resources to provide the best quality.

We ensure that all children are provided with rich learning experiences that aim to:

• Prepare our children for life in an increasingly scientific and technological world today and in the future.
• Help our children acquire a growing understanding of the nature, processes and methods of scientific ideas.
• Help develop and extend our children’s scientific concept of their world.
• Build on our children’s natural curiosity and developing a scientific approach to problems.
• Encouraging open-mindedness, self-assessment, perseverance and developing the skills investigating.
• Develop the use of scientific language, recording and techniques.
• Develop the use of computing in investigating and recording.
• Make links between science and other subjects.

At Dilton Marsh C of E we aspire to promote children’s independence and for all children to take responsibility in their own learning, therefore we have implemented pre-learning and post-learning tasks for an area to show clear progression and demonstrate children’s new found knowledge and understanding. Throughout the year, we ensure that children conduct a variety of investigations to develop their language and understanding of the concepts taught.

Impact

The impact and measure of this is to ensure children not only acquire the appropriate age related knowledge linked to the science curriculum, but also skills which equip them to progress from their starting points, and within their everyday lives.

 All children will have:

• A wider variety of skills linked to both scientific knowledge and understanding, and scientific enquiry/investigative skills.
• A richer vocabulary which will enable to articulate their understanding of taught concepts.
• High aspirations, which will see them through to further study, work and a successful adult life.
• A curiosity for the world around them which will enable them to be inquisitive and question new concepts which come their way.