Science
Intent
All children will build a solid foundation of skills, knowledge and curiosity which will inspire them to succeed as they reach for their star in life. They will be able to explain features and processes of the world around us; they will build the motivation and ability to continue to investigate how things have become as they are, why things happen, and make predictions for the future.
Children will leave our school:
• with a developed grasp of scientific knowledge and conceptual understanding of the disciplines of physics, biology and chemistry;
• able to work scientifically, skilled in their approach to enquiry to help them understand nature, processes and the methods of science, and to help them pose and answer scientific questions about the world around us;
• with an understanding and respect of how science as well as religion have shaped our interpretation and investigation of the world around us through history;
• equipped with the scientific knowledge required to understand the uses and implications of science, today and in the future;
• with a developed fluency in the language of science: due to the context of our pupil base, ensuring children leave our school able to communicate using specialist vocabulary and clear explanation skills is vital to their success in life. They will be able to observe, record and communicate their findings; able to seek and notice differences, similarities and patterns that help them identify, classify and explain their findings.
Implementation
As they progress through school, all children will:
• experience a coherent, sequential learning journey allowing their key knowledge and conceptual understanding of physics, biology and chemistry to deepen as they grow;
• be guided and supported to grow their scientific vocabulary and spoken language skills: with a high proportion of children with English as an additional language, a strong focus on increasing their ability to use, explain, read, spell and pronounce technical terms using specialised support will ensure they succeed;
• be given regular opportunities to make links between scientific learning and the wider curriculum – including the spiritual and religious learning – to explore how science has and does relate to other aspects of life and experience;
• develop strong investigative skills allowing them to ask probing questions, make insightful predictions and work scientifically to find answers and draw conclusions;
• build a broad and deep understanding of a wide range of scientific ideas and explore how scientific ideas change over time;
• experience science through a range of engaging, practical contexts maintaining strong links to real life, day-to-day contexts. Due to our pupil contexts, making science real, practical and visual will allow all children to access learning, relate scientific principles to their own experience and build a depth of understanding that will prepare them for life ahead;
• make links to famous scientists from history, exploring and evaluating their impact on our current understanding of the world;
• look to the future to predict how our understanding of the world may change in years to come, and the impact this may have.
Impact
• Children leave school with the skills, understanding and curiosity to continue their scientific learning throughout their lives.
• All children, regardless of background, communicate with confidence, explaining and evaluating scientific ideas, justifying predictions and drawing conclusions.
• Children respect and can appreciate how religion and science each have an important places within our understanding of the world and our lives.
• All children, regardless of background, leave school with a secure grasp of the fundamental principles of physics, chemistry and biology and an appreciation of key scientists who helped build our understanding of the world.
• Children are able to relate scientific ideas to their everyday lives.
• All children, regardless of background, have the best opportunity to reach age-related expectations.
• Children at Christ Church enjoy learning and progressing in science; they are inspired and motivated to progress well beyond Key Stage 2 with the solid foundation and ambition that will take them all the way to their own special star in life.