Science

Intent

At Blair Primary School, we recognise the importance of Science in every aspect of daily life. As one of the core subjects taught in Primary Schools, we give the teaching and learning of Science 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. It will develop the natural curiosity of the child, encourage respect for living organisms and the physical environment and provide opportunities for critical evaluation of evidence.

At Blair Peach Primary School, our Science teaching offers opportunities for children to:

• Ask and answer scientific questions.
• Plan and carry out fair scientific investigations, using equipment including computers.
• Apply their skills and knowledge to investigative work.
• Know and understand the life processes of living things.
• Know and understand the physical processes of materials, electricity, light, sound and natural forces.
• Know about materials and their properties.
• Evaluate evidence and present their conclusions clearly and accurately
• Work safely and carefully.

At Blair Peach Primary School, 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.

Implementation

Teachers create a positive attitude to science learning within their classrooms and reinforce an expectation that all children are capable of achieving high standards in science. To provide adequate time for developing scientific knowledge, skills and understanding, each teacher will provide regular Science lessons. These may vary in length based on the objectives being explored. However, at least 2 hours of science should be carried out weekly.

There are a variety of ways in which the teaching and learning may be effective. Our school

aims to encourage learning through investigation, with an emphasis on first-hand experience.

Science lessons should typically contain some of the following elements: discussion; whole class, group or individual learning; practical, investigative tasks; recording; communicating.

Impact:
The successful approach at Blair Peach Primary results in a fun, engaging, high-quality science education, that provides children with the foundations for understanding the world. The impact and measure of this is to ensure children not only acquire the appropriate age related knowledge linked to the science curriculum, but also skills which equip them to progress from their starting points, and within their everyday lives.  All children will have:

• 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.