Science Vision at

Burton Road Primary School

Updated January 2023

Across the past years, our Science curriculum has developed to show a more investigative approach that gives children the opportunity to think critically about their experiments in order to deepen their understanding. We have broadened the subject knowledge of teachers both in the curriculum knowledge and how to plan and deliver lessons.

COVID-19 posed some challenges within education meaning that there were inevitable gaps in children's knowledge. It is my aim to now ensure that all children receive the appropriate catch-up required in order to make progress in their Science learning. The long-term planning has been adapted accordingly to ensure that missed topics are covered.

This year, we aim to make our Science curriculum more developmental and progressive to ensure that the learning is real and relevant to the children. With this in mind, we have introduced a book list for each unit of work and have invested in a number of books in order to give children the opportunity to make their own discoveries outside of lessons. Each year, the children will study a minimum of three famous scientists (linked to their learning) which we hope will inspire the next generation of scientists. We believe that it is vital for all children to experience a range of different learning opportunities and we aim to do this through exciting and engaging science lessons.

Our teaching of the Science curriculum needs to be supported by effective assessment of the children’s understanding of the ‘working scientifically’ and ‘curriculum knowledge’ sections of the National Curriculum. At the beginning of each unit, the children complete a small pre-unit assessment in the form of group and whole class discussion in order for the teacher to identify any gaps. A post-unit assessment will be completed at the end of the unit which may be presented as an independent investigation or experiment in Key Stage 2 or a videoed explanation of scientific reasoning in Key Stage 1. The children will complete an end of year test which encompasses a range of different skills. This will ensure that the knowledge has been retained for longer than the initial unit of work.

Science Rationale

At Burton Road Primary School, we pride ourselves on having a Science curriculum that both informs and excites. We aim to provide essential knowledge of biology, chemistry and physics in a way which prompts the children to ask questions to further their own learning. Science allows the children to think about the past including scientific discoveries that have already been made as well as hypothesising about the future to make predictions. At Primary level, it is vital for the children to be able to understand and apply methods to investigations to enable the children to make their own discoveries that we believe will enable the children to remember more. We aim to deliver a science curriculum which is carefully sequenced and linked to help the children build upon existing knowledge and vocabulary. Our science curriculum allows the children to work scientifically by making cross-curricular links, particularly with maths. Our science curriculum encourages the children to make enquiries about the natural world in an investigative manner. We ensure that ALL learners have the opportunities to learn and make progress in Science, including those with SEND. We make it a priority to develop lessons that meet all children’s needs and adapt lessons where appropriate.

“The scientist is not a person who gives the right answers, he is one who asks the right questions.” – Claude Levi-Strauss