We aim to empower and equip our children to influence the future; educate our children about how the world works; encourage curiosity and excitement; support children to make discoveries; provide children with an understanding of the process of scientific discovery; develop confidence and opportunities for all children; encourage collaborative and communication skills.

Intent

At Oldfield Park Infant School, it is our intention to provide a high-quality science education that gives children the foundations they need to recognise the importance of Science in their everyday lives.

We ensure all children are exposed to high quality science teaching and a range of learning experiences.  Our curriculum will enable children to become enquiry-based learners, developing a sense of excitement and curiosity about natural phenomena.  Children will work collaboratively to develop their research, communication and critical thinking skills.  They will be encouraged to ask questions about what they notice and the world around them.  We aim to make best use of our outdoor environment and local area in order to develop scientific enquiry and investigative skills.

Children develop their understanding of scientific ideas by using different types of scientific enquiry to answer their own questions.  These include:

• observing changes over a period of time,
• noticing patterns,
• grouping and classifying things,
• carrying out simple comparative tests,
• finding things out using secondary sources of information.

Children will be encouraged to understand how science can be used to explain what is happening, predict what might happen next, and to link cause and effect.  They will begin to use simple scientific language to talk about what they have found out and to support the acquisition of scientific knowledge and understanding.  Children are given opportunities to apply their mathematical knowledge to their understanding of science, including collecting, presenting and analysing data.

Implementation

In order to achieve high standards of teaching and learning in science, we implement a curriculum that is progressive throughout the school. Teachers adapt and extend the curriculum to match all pupils’ needs. Where possible, science is linked to class topics and involves practical experiences. Science is taught as discrete units and lessons where needed to ensure coverage.

Our scheme of study is taken from ‘The National Curriculum Programmes of Study for Science 2014’ and key objectives are documented in medium-term planning.  Teachers create engaging lessons, which encourage children to use their investigative skills in order to question, test, observe and explain.  New vocabulary is introduced through direct teaching.

We ensure that all children are provided with rich learning experiences that aim to:

• Prepare our children for life in an increasingly scientific and technological world.
• Help our children acquire a growing understanding of scientific ideas.
• Build on our children’s natural curiosity.
• Support children to develop a scientific approach to problems.
• Encourage open-mindedness, self-assessment, perseverance and investigative skills.
• Develop the use of scientific language, recording and techniques.
• Make links between science and other subjects.

Children in Reception are taught science through the ‘Understanding the World’ strand of the EYFS curriculum. This involves guiding children to make sense of their physical world and their community, with opportunities to explore, observe and find out about people, places, technology and the environment. Teachers use questioning to expand upon children’s learning and address any misconceptions that may arise.  Individual observations are made during Discovery Time and form part of each child’s Learning Journey.

Impact

The successful approach to the teaching of science will result in a fun, engaging, high quality science education, that provides children with the foundations for understanding the world.  A progressive curriculum ensures 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.

Children at Oldfield Park Infant School will:

• be able ask questions and make observations about the world around them using scientific knowledge.
• be able to articulate their understanding of scientific concepts and be able to reason scientifically using language linked to science.
• demonstrate mathematical skills through their work, organising, recording and interpreting results.
• work collaboratively and practically to investigate and experiment.
• begin to understand some of the major issues facing our planet and an appreciation of the importance of science to a wider society.
• be motivated learners who are able to achieve national expectations by the end of Key Stage 1.

By the time they leave us, 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 children to articulate their understanding of taught concepts.
• high aspirations, which will see them through to further study.
• the ability to demonstrate their success as a scientist, be curious about scientific processes and the world around them.