Science

Intent

At Lawford CofE Primary, we recognise how science impacts every aspect of daily life, and without science humankind would not have made progress throughout history. As one of the core subjects taught at primary level, we give the teaching and learning of science the prominence it deserves.

We endeavour to ensure that the Science curriculum we provide will give children the confidence and motivation to continue to further develop their skills into the next stage of their education and life experiences. At Lawford, we also aim to eliminate stereotypes and enable all students to have high aspirations and consider future careers in science, technology, engineering and maths.

Learning science is concerned with increasing pupils’ knowledge of our world, and with developing skills associated with science as a process of enquiry. Much like our whole school curriculum intent, our science curriculum develops the natural curiosity of each child no matter their demographic, encourages them to have respect for living organisms, and instil in pupils the importance of caring for the natural environment.

Implementation

Children are natural scientists, with their eagerness to observe and ask questions. We seek to extend their curiosity about the world, enabling them to develop and evaluate explanations through experimental evidence and modelling. Pupils learn to question and discuss science- based issues that may affect their own lives, the direction of society and the future of the world. To encourage children’s’ love of science, the school annually participates in Science week – and shares this exploration and learning with their parents (when permitted). We encourage external visitors and have in the past linked up with our local STEM ambassador project. The children explored thermal imaging techniques and had the opportunity to use the cameras – something that captured the imagination of our eco – council particularly. We use the Pzaz science resources to ensure effective skills progression and knowledge.

At key stage 1 children are encouraged to ask simple questions and recognise that they can be answered in different ways. They observe closely using simple equipment and perform simple tests. Our school grounds and ‘forest school area’ as well as the raised beds enable them to identify and name a variety of common wild and garden plants, including deciduous and evergreen trees, drawing diagrams and observing how they have changed over time. They classify common animals including fish, amphibians, reptiles and birds into carnivores, herbivores and omnivores and investigate how they are suited to their habitat. Food chains help them understand how they inter-relate in the environment. They find out about and describe the basic needs of animals, including humans, for survival (water, food and air) and health. Practical investigations with everyday materials, including wood, metal, plastic, glass, brick, rock, paper and cardboard enable them to find out how the shapes of solid objects made from some materials can be changed by squashing, bending, twisting and stretching.

At Key Stage 2 pupils learn about a wider range of living things, materials and physical phenomena. They make links between ideas and explain things using simple models and theories. They think about the effects of scientific and technological developments on the environment and in other contexts. They carry out more systematic investigations, working on their own and with others. They use a range of reference sources in their work. They talk about their work and its significance, using a wide range of scientific language, conventional diagrams, charts, graphs and ICT to communicate their ideas. Topics range from rocks, magnets, light, sound, gases, space, forces, the human body and evolution.

Science Lessons

Using the requirements of the Science National Curriculum as our guide, our Science lessons offer opportunities for children to:

Develop scientific knowledge and conceptual understanding of the disciplines of Physics, Chemistry and Biology.
Formulate their own questions about the natural world.
Foster the confidence to ‘be wrong’ when it comes to making predictions and postulating their own theories.
Promote an awareness of the importance of teamwork in scientific experimentation.
Practically investigate their questions using various methods of enquiry.
Gain competence in the science skills of planning scientific investigations, gathering and analysing data and critical evaluation of investigations across the disciplines.
Use a range of methods to gather data from investigations and secondary sources including I.C.T., drawings, diagrams, videos and photographs.
Present data in a variety of methods including tables, bar charts, line graphs, pictograms and pie charts.
Produce comprehensive science reports that demonstrate their proficiency in the scientific method.
Have care for the safety of all individuals in lessons by developing knowledge of the hazards of the materials and equipment they handle, along with mitigating these hazards.
Develop an enthusiasm and enjoyment of scientific learning and discovery.