Curriculum Narrative for Science

Specific skills that are developed and how.

Here at St. Michael's, the main focus throughout Science lessons will be to ensure that children have first-hand experiences and opportunity to learn about and explore the five types of scientific enquiry. Pupils will be taught how to observe changes over different periods of time, notice patterns, group and classify things, carry out comparative and fair tests and find things out using a wide range of secondary sources of information. Pupils will also be taught to use different types of equipment effectively and how to take accurate measurements.

Revisiting of topics – when and why

As pupils progress through the school, they will build on their knowledge and understanding of some science units which are taught in various year groups. When these units are being taught, teachers will ensure that pupils already have a secure knowledge of the content taught from previous year groups for this particular unit before moving on. This will enable pupils to make links and build on their previous learning.

Why the curriculum has been sequenced in the order it has

To enable opportunities for pupils to revisit science units as they progress through the school to build on the knowledge they already have, build links and connections between learning and revisit learning to ensure it is retained. Several units are placed carefully to ensure that they are taught at an appropriate time during the year to ensure that pupils have the best opportunity for first-hand experiences and to make observations, for example, of plants and living things.

Aims of the EYFS Curriculum

• To talk about features of and ask questions about aspects of their familiar world and own environment.
• To show curiosity, test their ideas and learn through trial and error.
• To show care and concern for living things and the environment. 
• To make observations of animals and plants and talk about growth, pattern and changes over time. 
• To have first-hand experiences which enable them to investigate, explore, take risks, engage in new experiences and use their senses to explore the word around them.
• To know about similarities and differences, notice patterns and talk about why things happen and how things work.
• To use creative and critical thinking to make links, find ways to solve problems and develop their own ideas.

Aims of the KS1 Curriculum

• To experience and observe phenomena, looking more closely at the natural and humanly-constructed world around them.
• To develop curiosity, ask questions about what they notice and recognise that questions can be answered in different ways.
• To develop an understanding of scientific ideas through exploring and using different types of scientific enquiry.
• To begin to use simple scientific language to talk about what they have found out and communicate ideas to a range of audiences in different ways.
• To learn about Science mainly through first-hand practical experiences and some use of appropriate secondary sources.

Aims of the Lower KS2 Curriculum

• To broaden their scientific view of the world around them through exploring, talking about, testing and developing ideas about everyday phenomena and the relationships between living things and familiar environments, and by beginning to develop their ideas about functions, relationships and interactions.

• To ask their own, relevant questions about what they observe and make some decisions about which types of scientific enquiry are likely to be the best ways of answering.
• To make systematic and careful observations, and where appropriate, take accurate measurements using standard units, using a range of equipment.
• To gather, record, classify and present data in a variety of ways, including drawings, labelled diagrams, keys, bar charts and tables, to help in answering questions.
• To use results to draw simple conclusions and use some scientific language to talk and write about what they have found out.
• To make predictions for new values, suggest improvements and raise further questions.

Aims of the Upper KS2 Curriculum

• To develop a deeper understanding of a wide range of scientific ideas through exploring and talking about their ideas, asking their own questions about scientific phenomena and analysing functions, relationships and interactions more systematically.

• To encounter more abstract ideas and begin to recognise how these ideas help them to understand and predict how the world operates
• To begin to recognise that scientific ideas change and develop over time.
• To select the most appropriate ways to answer science questions using different types of scientific enquiry.
• To plan different types of scientific enquires to answer questions and recognise and control variables.
• To take measurements using a range of science equipment with increasing accuracy and precision and take repeat readings when appropriate.
• To record data and results of increasing complexity.
• To draw conclusions based on their data and observations, use evidence to justify their ideas, and use their scientific knowledge and understanding to explain their findings.
• To report and present findings from enquiries, including conclusions, causal relationships and explanations of and degree of trust in results both orally and in written forms.
• To use test results to make predictions to set up further comparative and fair tests

Curriculum Transitions

How KS1 builds upon EYFS

In KS1 pupils will continue to develop their scientific skills through first-hand experiences where they will make observations using simple equipment and perform simple tests. They will use their understanding of similarities and differences to begin to identify, classify and compare. They will continue to build on their ability to ask questions and begin to recognise that their questions can be answered in a variety of different ways. As pupils move through KS1 they will begin to record and communicate their observations and results in various ways.

How LSKS2 builds upon KS1

As pupils move into lower key stage two they will continue to explore, talk about, test and develop their ideas about living things and familiar environments through first-hand experiences and more systematic and careful observation. Pupils will be encouraged to ask more relevant questions and consider which types of scientific enquiry are most likely to be effective methods in answering them. Pupils will recognise when a fair test is necessary and help decide how to set up practical tests. Pupils will develop their ability to record and communicate their results through drawing simple conclusions using some scientific language to talk about and write about their findings and begin to make predictions.

How UKS2 builds upon LKS2

As pupils move into upper key stage two they will begin to select the most appropriate ways to answer science questions using different types of science enquiry. When carrying out tests, pupils will be taught to control variables, develop their accuracy and precision in taking measurements and record their data and results in more complex ways. Pupils will use their results to identify when further tests might be needed and use relevant scientific language when communicating and justifying their ideas. Pupils will develop a wider range of scientific ideas through analysing functions, relationships and interactions more systematically.

How UKS2 prepares children for KS3/Secondary readiness

Throughout upper key stage two, pupils will develop their scientific knowledge and conceptual understanding in readiness for key stage three where they will apply this to biology, chemistry and physics. Pupils will encounter more abstract ideas, begin to understand and predict how the world operates and recognise that scientific ideas change and develop over time. This will help to support pupils in understanding the uses and implications of science, today and for the future. As pupils move into key stage three they will build on their understanding of scientific attitudes, their experimental skills and ability to investigate, take measurements, analyse and evaluate. 

Extra Curricular Activities

Throughout the year there will be opportunities for different year groups to join a science club where hands-on activities link more learning opportunities to the National Curriculum.