Chesham Bois CE School

Science

Science Intent

At Chesham Bois School, our Science curriculum fosters curiosity in our children about the universe and promotes respect for living and non-living things. Our curriculum encompasses the acquisition of knowledge, concepts, skills and positive attitudes. In our program of study, children are given time to learn key knowledge thoroughly and return to build on key concepts each year while continuously developing their scientific skills. With this approach, we empower our children to be able to ask their own questions, find their own answers and present their conclusions with strong, rational explanations. We want our children to leave CBS with a solid foundation of scientific understanding and a deep curiosity and care for the world around them.

The aims of our Science curriculum are:

• To create a positive attitude to science within every classroom and reinforce an expectation that all children are capable of achieving high standards in science
• To inspire our children to be curious and questioning
• To give our children a comprehensive and solid foundational understanding across the science curriculum
• To ensure our children have the necessary communication skills to share their ideas, understandings and findings
• To prepare our children for the world as it is today and for the challenges of the future

Science Implementation

Science is planned by class teachers and taught in topic blocks according to our science curriculum overview. Teachers are challenged to teach creatively, and this is recorded in class creativity folders. Teachers have access to high-quality resources to aid children’s conceptual knowledge and these resources are well organised and regularly reviewed. Our Curriculum Overview illustrates how key concepts are revisited each year to ensure a deep understanding and how each topic of learning develops across the school. Across the school, our weekly Science lessons take place in the morning, in line with other CORE subjects, to increase productivity and to elevate the status of science within the curriculum.

 Our teaching of Science is often interdisciplinary and we use a project-based approach whereby learning often culminates in a relevant, real life challenge. For example, making a working lighthouse at the end of an electricity topic and as part of a English unit including ‘The Lighthouse Keeper’s Lunch’.  This approach helps to immerse children in their learning, which supports both less able learners and those who can achieve a greater depth of understanding. Our interdisciplinary approach means science content is also explored in other areas of the curriculum, for example, in the KS1 Humanities topic of the Titanic, children explore materials of the ship and their properties.

Children are encouraged to ask their own questions and be given opportunities to use their scientific skills and research to discover the answers. Curiosity is celebrated within the classroom. This is demonstrated by teachers regularly planning opportunities for science- based talk in the classroom, including whole class discussions, and celebrating children’s findings on classroom displays.

Teachers regularly use questioning effectively in classrooms to test children’s knowledge and conceptual understanding and quickly identify any misconceptions. Regular practical investigations and experiments in classrooms provide opportunities for teachers to formatively assess children’s skills and understanding of scientific working. Children are summative assessed termly to identify any gaps in learning and these are analysed and recorded by class teachers to produce a Gap Analysis document, outlining targets and the needs of individual children. This data is then also collated by the subject lead and shared with governors in termly whole school reports.

There is an emphasis on using appropriate scientific vocabulary throughout the school and across all topics. Teachers consistently model this language and encourage its use in all contexts from all learners. It is further embedded by displaying key vocabulary on engaging classroom displays and working walls. Red topic boxes from a local library scheme are also supplied termly to support teachers’ knowledge, and develop children’s independent learning, language acquisition and curiosity about science in real world contexts. We have also implemented a policy of planning an extended piece of writing at the end of a Science topic. This is an opportunity for children to use specific scientific vocabulary, and importantly to spell this vocabulary, to develop their science communication skills as well developing their understanding of how science links to other areas of learning and wider academic life.

Healthy and safety guidance is consistently and strictly adhered to and teachers demonstrate how to use scientific equipment in the classroom. Children are given frequent opportunities to learn to use equipment and become competent working scientists.

Our children are given a wide range of extra-curricular activities, visits, trips and visitors to complement and broaden our curriculum. These are carefully planned to ensure they support and deepen classroom learning and help children to make links to real world contexts. Our annual Science Week allows all pupils to come off-timetable and delve into a science-rich programme where children’s knowledge and skills are applied and real world contexts are explored. This event often involves families and members of the wider scientific community.

Science Impact

The successful approach at Chesham Bois School results in a fun, engaging, high-quality science education, that provides children with the foundations and knowledge 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. Frequent, continuous and progressive learning inside and outside the classroom is embedded throughout the science curriculum. Through various exposure to workshops, Science weeks, trips and interactions with experts throughout their time at Chesham Bois School, children have the understanding that science has changed our lives and that it is vital to the world’s future prosperity. Children at Chesham Bois School enjoy science and this results in motivated learners with sound scientific understanding.

When children leave Chesham Bois School at the end of Year 6  and move on to the next stage of their education they will have developed:

A wider variety of skills linked to both scientific knowledge and understanding, and scientific enquiry/investigative skills.

A richer vocabulary which will enable to articulate their understanding of taught concepts.

High aspirations, which will see them through to further study, work and a successful adult life.

Welcome to our Science page. Please find our curriculum documents below to learn more about how we teach Science at CBS

If you are looking for fun science learning activities at home, try the links below for some ideas.

https://explorify.wellcome.ac.uk/ (it is free to sign up)

https://www.stem.org.uk/home-learning/primary

https://wowscience.co.uk/