Halton Community Combined School
Together, our community
inspires a love of learning and
enables children to find their voice.
Science
Subject leader: Mrs Claire Powell
Intent
•By the time children leave Halton they will:
• Have started to develop scientific knowledge and conceptual understanding through the specific disciplines of biology, chemistry and physics – these will be taught in the Science lessons as Science as opposed to as separate subjects
•Have started to develop understanding of the nature, processes and methods of science through different types of science enquiries that help them to question and answer scientific questions about the world around them
•Be equipped with the scientific skills required to understand the uses and implications of science, today and for the future. We understand that it is important for lessons to have a skills-based focus and that the knowledge can be taught through this
• We wish for children to question what they see and learn to explore their thoughts with ideas and questions
•At Halton, we understand that children are naturally curious and we encourage this inquisitive nature throughout their time with us and beyond. Science fosters a healthy curiosity in children about our universe and promotes respect for the living and non-living. We believe science encompasses the acquisition of knowledge, concepts, skills and positive attitudes. Through the programmes of study in the National Curriculum science document, children will acquire and develop these skills throughout their Primary years. We ensure that the Working Scientifically skills are built-on and developed throughout their school career so that they can use equipment, conduct experiments, build arguments and explain concepts confidently and continue to ask questions and be curious about their surroundings.
Implementation
•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 and arranged topic blocks by the class teacher. The children will have a hands on approach as much as possible. This is a strategy to enable the achievement of a greater depth of knowledge.
•Through our planning, we involve problem solving opportunities that allow children to find out for themselves. Children are encouraged to ask their own questions and be given opportunities to use their scientific skills and research to discover the answers. This curiosity is celebrated within the classroom. Children are given Big Ideas at the start of some lessons that they can consider. No answer is right or wrong, just valued for its thoughts.
•Planning involves teachers creating engaging lessons, often involving high-quality resources to aid understanding of conceptual knowledge. Children are encouraged to plan their own experiments which helps them to explore new ideas and gives them a sense of ownership with the work that they are doing. Teachers use precise questioning in class to test conceptual knowledge and skills, and assess children regularly to identify those children with gaps in learning, so that all children keep up.
•We build upon the learning and skill development of the previous years. As the children’s knowledge and understanding increases, and they become more proficient in selecting, using scientific equipment, collating and interpreting results, they become increasingly confident in their growing ability to come to conclusions based on real evidence.
•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. This is developed through the years, in-keeping with the topics.
Teachers demonstrate how to use scientific equipment, and the various Working Scientifically skills in order to embed scientific understanding. Teachers find opportunities to develop children’s understanding of their surroundings where possible
Impact
•The successful approach at Halton results in a fun, engaging, high-quality science education, that provides children with the foundations for understanding the world. Our engagement with the local environment ensures that children learn through varied and first hand experiences of the world around them. So much of science lends itself to practical learning and so we provide children with opportunities to experience this. Through various experiments, ideas and a Science Week, children have the understanding that science has changed our lives and that it is vital to the world’s future prosperity. Children are excited by the Science lessons and appreciate the opportunity to make their own ideas come to life. We maintain links with The Royal Society which reinforces the idea that Science is all around us. Children at Halton overwhelmingly enjoy science and this results in motivated learners.
If you have any questions regarding science, please contact Mrs Powell via the school office.