Science

Intent:

“Science is fun. Science is curiosity. We all have natural curiosity. Science is a process of investigating. It’s posing questions and coming up with a method. It’s delving in.”
 - Sally Ride (Astronaut and Physicist)

At St. Joseph's, our Science Curriculum inspires curiosity in children and develops a sense of excitement about the natural world. Children are encouraged to understand how science can be used to explain what is occurring, predict how things will behave, and analyse causes. It focuses on the three fundamental scientific disciplines of: biology, chemistry and physics, giving pupils a rounded understanding to appreciate and enquire about the world around them.

We do this through adhering to the aims of the national curriculum and fostering a healthy curiosity and interest in the sciences. Science at St Joseph’s involves adapting and extending the curriculum to match all pupils’ needs to ensure they are challenged and achieve success, regardless of their starting point.  At the heart of our progressive science curriculum is scientific investigation. We regularly deliver lessons where children learn through varied systematic investigations, leading to them being equipped to ask and answer scientific questions about the world around them.

We place value on the importance of an investigative approach, through regular 'hands on' experiences.  We ensure that the Working Scientifically skills are developed throughout children’s time at our school, so that they can apply their knowledge of science when: using equipment, conducting experiments and investigations, building arguments and explaining concepts confidently, being familiar with scientific terminology and, most importantly, to continue to ask questions and be curious about their surroundings. It is our intention that by the end of each Key Stage, each child will understand a variety of scientific concepts and be able to confidently discuss them.  They will have knowledge of a variety of inspiring scientists and will understand that having ambitions and achieving great things in this field is an option available to anyone.

In the words of Louis Pasteur (French Chemist, Pharmacist and Microbiologist)
“Science knows no country, because knowledge belongs to humanity and is the torch which illuminates the world.”

Implementation:

The acquisition of key scientific knowledge is an integral part of our science lessons.
The progression of skills for working scientifically are developed through the year groups and scientific enquiry skills are of key importance within lessons. 
Teachers create a positive attitude to science learning within their classrooms and reinforce an expectation that all children are capable of achieving high standards in science. Our whole school approach to the teaching and learning of science involves the following:

• Science will be taught in planned blocks by the class teacher. Our strategy is to enable all children to be catered for through adapted planning suited to all abilities.
• Children are encouraged to ask their own questions and given opportunities to use their scientific skills and research to discover answers. This curiosity is celebrated within the classroom.
• Planning involves teachers creating practical, engaging lessons with opportunities for questioning in class to test conceptual knowledge and skills and assess children regularly to identify those children with gaps in learning.
• Our curriculum is progressive. We build upon the learning and skill development of the previous years.
• Working Scientifically skills are embedded into lessons to ensure these skills are being developed throughout the children’s school career, and new vocabulary and challenging concepts are introduced through direct teaching.
• Teachers demonstrate how to use scientific equipment, and the various Working Scientifically skills, in order to embed scientific understanding.
• Through enrichment days, such as ‘science week’, we promote the profile of Science and allow time for the children to explore scientific topics.