Science

SCIENCE CURRICULUM OVERVIEW

SCIENCE PROGRESSION OF KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS

At Fairlawn, we provide the children with high-quality science education.  This gives children the foundations for understanding the world through the specific disciplines of biology, chemistry and physics.

Intent

All learners are taught to investigate scientific phenomena and real-world problems by applying a range of scientific skills.
Learners build fundamental scientific knowledge and concepts that aim to develop a sense of curiosity and excitement about science.

At Fairlawn Primary School, we strongly believe that high quality science education and teaching offers the foundations for understanding the world around us. Science is ever changing and being scientifically literate is fundamental for a prosperous future. Science at Fairlawn focuses upon developing students’ thinking and scientific practices. We achieve this by ensuring that students are exposed to quality first teaching, investigating scientific phenomena and real-world problems and are given opportunities to apply scientific skills. A key element to our teaching is the building of fundamental scientific knowledge and concepts that can be added to and developed each year to allow our students to advance their rational thinking skills in addition to developing a sense of curiosity and excitement about science.

Students are encouraged to understand how science can be used to explain what is occurring, predict how things will behave, as well as analyse the causes they observe or record. Students at Fairlawn are constantly exposed and immersed in key scientific vocabulary, increasing students’ knowledge and understanding of not only the specific matter they are currently studying, but of the world they live in. Fundamentally, science in our school is about developing our students’ ideas and scientific thinking by allowing them to investigate and study the environment and world around them, regardless of their gender, ethnicity or ability which we achieve with a balanced and broad science programme of study.

Implementation

At Fairlawn, we ensure high standards of teaching and learning in science, implementing a curriculum that is progressive throughout the school. We use ‘Science Bug’ in KS1 and KS2, which is organised into topics and year groups and designed around the statutory requirements for Primary Science and gives full coverage of the National Curriculum.  Children are encouraged to ask their own questions and are given opportunities to use their scientific skills and research to discover the answers. Through teacher modelling and questioning we want our children at Fairlawn to wonder and be amazed by the world around and where possible we seek links to our Forest School and outdoor learning areas. All children take part in outdoor learning sessions, making curriculum links where possible, making sure the children experience life outdoors throughout the seasons. In KS1, children look at seasonal changes and plants throughout the year, again emphasising the way the natural world and their local area changes throughout the year. Key scientific language is modelled and taught throughout lessons enabling our children to be familiar with and use vocabulary accurately. We are committed to providing exciting, hands on and practical experiences for all children at Fairlawn. In turn this will help promote independent learning, curiosity and a love for enquiry and knowledge. Teachers are also encouraged to plan trips and visitors to enhance our children’s learning experience when possible. Through various workshops, trips and interactions with experts, children have the understanding that science has changed our lives and that it is vital to the world’s future prosperity. Children learn the possibilities for careers in science as a result of our community links and connection with national agencies such as the STEM association, as well as Science career fairs.

Impact

The successful approach at Fairlawn Primary results in a fun, engaging, high-quality science education that provides children with the foundations for understanding the world.

Our Scientists will:

• Be resilient, independent and curious scientists who ask questions and seek answers about the world around them.
• Develop a rich scientific vocabulary.
• Acquire the appropriate age-related knowledge linked to the science curriculum.
• Engage with and develop a love for the local environment.
• Work scientifically in a collaborative and practical manner to investigate and experiment.
• Be able to explain the process they have taken and be able to reason scientifically.
• Develop a passion and appreciation for science and have scientific career aspirations.