Science

Advancements in Science have and continue to change our lives and are vital to the world’s future environmental and social development. At Anston Hillcrest, we aim to develop a love of science through a broad and ambitious curriculum which ignites curiosity about phenomena in the world around them and prepares them well for future learning and employment. We aim to ensure the children learn the essential aspects of scientific knowledge, methods, processes and uses of science in a coherent and progressive sequence through a carefully sequenced, broad and balanced curriculum which addresses social disadvantage and meets the needs of our pupils.

 

At Anston Hillcrest, we follow the National Curriculum programme of study for Science to ensure cohesion and progression. Scientific knowledge and conceptual understanding is taught through the disciplines of biology, chemistry and physics. We aim for the children to develop a secure understanding of the nature, processes and methods of science through different scientific enquires that help them answer questions about the world around them. PLAN Knowledge Matrices produced by the ASE have been used by the subject leader to create curriculum plans which focus on the powerful knowledge and vocabulary all children must master.

 

By the time the children move on to secondary school, children acquire a secure knowledge of the key learning across the disciplines of science in line with the National Curriculum and are able to answer their own science questions independently by carrying out one of the five types of enquiry. The end points for working scientifically, set out in the National Curriculum for Y2 (where the focus is observation and exploration) and Y4 (scaffolded enquiry), are the stepping stones towards the goal.

 

Implementation

 

Following the National Curriculum, Science is mapped out on a yearly cycle and working scientifically objectives are covered over a phase.

 

Medium term plants (MTPs) are currently being developed which build on expectations for pupils in EYFS in ‘The Understanding the Natural World’. PLAN Knowledge Matrices have been used to support the creation of progressive and coherent MTPs.  These have been used to support the identification of the most powerful knowledge in science and support the subject leader in ensuring staff understand what the most common misconceptions are so they can be anticipated and addressed. The have also been informed by Reach Out CPD training which ensures teachers have the essential ‘expert’ knowledge they need to ensure explanations are clear and accurate. MTPs also include vocabulary and a description of the children’s prior and future knowledge so it is clear how the unit fits within the wider progressive sequence of learning.

 

The unit is broken down into questions for learning so the sequence within the unit is clear and logical and allows learning to be consolidated and a deeper understanding to be achieved.