Intent
The National Curriculum states, ‘A high-quality science education provides the foundations for understanding the world through the specific disciplines of biology, chemistry and physics. Science has changed our lives and is vital to the world’s future prosperity, and all pupils should be taught essential aspects of the knowledge, methods, processes and uses of science.’ At Ewyas Harold we use the KAPOW Science scheme.
The scheme encourages:
- A strong focus on developing knowledge alongside scientific skills across Biology, Chemistry and Physics.
- Curiosity and excitement about familiar and unknown observations.
- Challenging misconceptions and demystifying truths.
- Continuous progression by building on practical and investigative skills across all units.
- Critical thinking, with the ability to ask perceptive questions and explain and analyse evidence.
- Development of scientific literacy using wide-ranging, specialist vocabulary.
Kapow Primary’s Science scheme of work enables pupils to meet the end of key stage attainment targets in the national curriculum and the aims also align with those set out in the national curriculum.
At Ewyas Harold Primary School, we recognise the importance of science as a core subject, and we give the teaching and learning of the subject the prominence it requires. The scientific area of learning is concerned with increasing pupils’ knowledge and understanding of our world and with developing skills associated with science as a process of enquiry. Science at Ewyas Harold develops the natural curiosity of the child and allows them to ask and answer challenging questions and successfully carry out investigations.
The National Curriculum along with the KAPOW scheme, provides a structure and skills development for the science curriculum being taught throughout the school. Kapow Primary’s Science curriculum aims to develop a sense of excitement and curiosity about natural phenomena and an understanding of how the scientific community contributes to our past, present and future.
Through the scheme, pupils develop a knowledge of Biology, Chemistry and Physics, but also adopt a broad range of skills in working scientifically and beyond. The scheme of work is inclusive and meaningful, so all pupils may experience the joy of science and make associations between their science learning and their lives outside the classroom. Studying science allows children to appreciate how new knowledge and skills can be fundamental to solving arising global challenges.
Implementation
Teachers create a positive attitude to science learning within their classrooms and reinforce an expectation that all pupils are capable of achieving high standards in science. Our whole school approach to the teaching and learning of science involves the following:
- Science is taught following the KAPOW scheme, with a two year cycle, all topics are taught as a phase ( EYFS, KS1, LKS2 and UKS2). Cycle A focuses on the first year of the phase, whilst cycle B’s focus is on the final year of the given phase.
There are three key strands within our teaching:
Scientific knowledge and understanding of:
- Biology- living organisms and vital processes.
- Chemistry- matter and its properties
- Physics- how the world we live in ‘works’
Working scientifically – processes and methods of science to answer questions about the world around us.
Science in action – uses and implications of science in the past, present and for the future.
Kapow Primary’s Science scheme is a spiral curriculum, with essential knowledge and skills revisited with increasing complexity, allowing pupils to revise and build on their previous learning. A range of engaging recall activities promote frequent pupil reflection on prior learning, ensuring new learning is approached with confidence. The Science in action strand is interwoven throughout the scheme to make the concepts and skills relevant to pupils and inspiring for future application. Cross-curricular links are included throughout each unit, allowing children to make connections and apply their Science skills to other areas of learning.
Each unit is based upon one of the key science disciplines; Biology, Chemistry and Physics and to show progression throughout the school we have grouped the National curriculum content into six key areas of science:
- Plants
- Animals, including humans
- Living things and habitats
- Materials
- Energy
- Forces, Earth and Space.
Pupils explore knowledge and conceptual understanding through engaging activities and an introduction to relevant specialist vocabulary. As suggested in Ofsted’s Science research review (April 2021), the ‘working scientifically’ skills are integrated with conceptual understanding rather than taught discretely. This provides frequent, but relevant, opportunities for developing scientific enquiry skills. The scheme utilises practical activities that aid in the progression of individual skills and also provides opportunities for full investigations.
Due to the mixed year groups in our classes, Science units are taught on a two-year rolling programme. This ensures progression between year groups and guarantees topics are covered.
Early Years
Science at Foundation Stage is covered in the ‘Understanding the World’ area of the EYFS Curriculum. It is introduced indirectly through activities that encourage every child to explore, problem solve, observe, predict, think, make decisions and talk about the world around them.
During reception children will explore creatures, people, plants and objects in their natural environments. They will observe and manipulate objects and materials to identify differences and similarities. They will also learn to use their senses, feeling dough or listening to sounds in the environment, such as sirens or farm animals. They will make observations of animals and plants and explain why some things occur and talk about changes. Children will be encouraged to ask questions about why things happen and how things work. They might do activities such as increasing the incline of a slope to observe how fast a vehicle travels, or opening a mechanical toy to see how it works. Children will also be asked questions about what they think will happen to help them communicate, plan, investigate, record and evaluate findings.
Key Stage One
During Key Stage one, pupils observe, explore and ask questions about living things, materials and the world around them. They begin to work together to collect evidence to help them answer questions, find patterns, classify and group objects, research using a variety of sources and carry out fair testing.
Pupils use reference materials to find out more about scientific ideas. They share their ideas and communicate them using scientific language, drawings, charts and tables. Science lessons in Key Stage one are either taught discretely or where possible connected to other curriculum areas. Pupils are encouraged to practically explore science and perform investigations to build their understandings of different aspects of the curriculum.
Key Stage Two
Children are encouraged to extend the scientific questions that they ask and answer about the world around them. Pupils plan and carry out a range of scientific enquiries including: observations over time, pattern seeking, classifying, grouping and researching using other sources (including computing resources). Children in Key Stage Two learn to plan science investigations by only changing one variable to make it a fair test. Pupils in Key Stage two extend their scientific learning using the outdoor areas.
Inclusion and Differentiation
All children must have regular access to science appropriate to their stage of development. Challenge for all is integral to our teaching and we aim to encourage all pupils to reach their full potential through the provision of varied opportunities. Work must be differentiated to aid children’s learning. Also, more-able children should be given open-ended tasks and opportunities for further research and more challenging studies. We recognise that our curriculum planning must allow pupils to gain a progressively deeper understanding and competency as they move through our school.
Impact
The successful approach at Ewyas Harold, results in a fun, engaging, high-quality science education, that provides children with the foundations and knowledge for understanding the world and supports their future learning. Frequent, continuous and progressive learning outside the classroom is embedded throughout the science curriculum. 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 at Ewyas Harold, enjoy the opportunities to practically engage with the science topics and build a fundamental understanding of Science.
Science is teacher assessed throughout the course of each topic; concluding the assessment with an end of unit quiz.
Monitoring and review
The Science Co-ordinator and class teacher is responsible for monitoring the standard of the children’s work and the quality of teaching in Science. The Science Co-ordinator is responsible for supporting colleagues in the teaching of Science, for being informed about current developments in the subject and for providing a strategic lead and direction for the subject in the school.
Click here for our curriculum progression overview