Science
Congratulations to all staff and pupils for all of their hard work towards achieving the Primary Science Quality Mark in June 2021. This is recognition of the high quality of teaching and learning in Science throughout school.
At Adswood Primary School we aim to give pupils a Science curriculum which enables them to explore and discover the world around them confidently, so that they have a deeper understanding of the world we live in. To achieve this we teach Science through exciting, practical hands on experiences that encourage curiosity and questioning. Our aim is that these stimulating and challenging experiences help pupils secure and extend their scientific knowledge and vocabulary. We believe that these opportunities will ensure that our pupils are confident, life-long learners who will explore the world around them.
Science Vision.
We believe that good science teaching is underpinned by 5 key aspects;
Engaging – Children are excited by their learning and are curious to find out more.
Practical – Children have the opportunity to work collaboratively on practical hands on experiences that encourage curiosity and questioning.
Enquiring – Children should understand what the 5 types of enquiry are and most lessons will involve one type of enquiry.
Context – Children should be able to see how their learning links to the real world.
Vocabulary – Children and staff use scientific vocabulary correctly and confidently.
Science Principles
As in all subjects, the children are at the heart of everything we do. We consulted all children about what a good Science lesson should look like and their responses form our Science principles.
Each year group has subject specific vocabulary linked to the scientific concepts being taught, these are taken directly from the National Curriculum and are displayed in the science stations in each classroom. Vocabulary is reinforced through word aware strategies used in the classroom and through both teacher questioning and the questions that the pupils pose themselves and each other and is enhanced through fun, interactive games and experiences.
All classrooms in school have a science station where pupils have the opportunity to extend and develop their scientific skills and understanding through questioning, interactive activities, challenges or games. These may be accessed independently of adult support and allows the pupils to work collaboratively and enhance their scientific thinking.
EYFS
In E.Y.F.S, Science is taught mainly through structured play activities using understanding the world early learning goals.
Understanding the world involves guiding pupils to make sense of their physical world and their community through opportunities to explore, observe and find out about people, places, technology and the environment.
This is achieved through a stimulating and exciting environment which is designed to inspire the pupil’s natural curiosity. Targeted and pupil led teaching, using questioning and discussion to further develop the pupil’s understanding and introduce key concepts and vocabulary.
KS1
In KS1 the principal focus of science teaching is to enable pupils to experience and observe phenomena, encouraging them to look more closely at the natural and humanly constructed world around them. Through the questions posed by the Learning Challenge Curriculum pupils are encouraged to be curious and ask questions about what they notice.
Pupils develop their understanding of scientific ideas using different types of scientific enquiry and begin to use scientific language to talk about what they have found out. KS1 science is taught through first hand and practical experiences, developing key skill and deepening their understanding of their world.
KS2
By the End of KS2 pupils will encounter more abstract ideas, recognising that scientific ideas change and develop over time. They answer science questions using different types of scientific enquiry including observing changes over different periods of time, noticing patterns, grouping and classifying things, carrying out comparative and fair tests and finding things out by using a wide variety of secondary sources.
Through Years 3-6 pupils develop and broaden their scientific view of the world around them, building on the knowledge and skills from previous years. This is achieved using questions posed in the Learning Challenge Curriculum and gives the children the opportunity to experience a wide breadth of scientific experiences.
In Year 5 and 6 pupils have the opportunity to visit ‘real’ science labs in both Cheadle High School and Stockport Academy. The pupils really enjoy these experiences and gives them a valuable insight into what it will be like in secondary school.
All Pupils in school are involved in Science Week, where our focus is working scientifically, it gives pupils the opportunity to really focus in on the different ways of working scientifically while engaged in lots of fun, challenging and exciting activities.
