Science

Science at Westfield Primary School

At Westfield Primary School we aim to develop the investigative, technical and practical expertise needed to become scientists of the future. We want our children to build and apply a repertoire of knowledge and skills to develop their understanding of the world around them. Children are given opportunities to plan, carry out and evaluate results from investigations to further their knowledge and understanding.

We want all of our learners to develop a life-long love and curiosity of Science, accessing lesson content and outcomes through a range of supportive measures such as additional visual support, adult intervention, a differentiated curriculum and recording of their understanding through technology.

At our school, we encourage all children to learn to think and work creatively to solve problems; both as individuals and collaboratively as members of a team. Our Science curriculum links to the wider curriculum and core subjects as children are given opportunities to learn about scientists and discoveries through history as well as experience what it is like to be a scientist in this day and age adding to the cultural capital of our curriculum at Westfield.

Independence

Children develop independent thinking and questioning of scientific concepts through their practical work. They ask and find answers to their own questions and learn that every question and theory in Science is valid.

Individuality

Every pupil has their own approach and ideas about how Science works and the direction that they want their investigations take. This is valued and acknowledged.

Inquisitive

Children use the key skills of enquiry and exploration to ask and answer their own questions, nurturing their natural inquisitiveness from Early Year.

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. We use ASE planning exemplification to support the planning of Science across the school as well as resources provided by The Ogden Trust to enhance our curriculum further. Our whole school approach to the teaching and learning of science involves the following:

• Through our planning, we involve problem solving opportunities that allow children to find out for themselves. Children are encouraged to ask their own questions and be given opportunities to use their scientific skills and research to discover the answers. This curiosity is celebrated within the classroom. Teachers use precise questioning in class to test conceptual knowledge and skills, and assess children regularly to identify those children with gaps in learning, so that all children keep up.
• We build upon the learning and skills of the previous years, as well as having a clear progression of development of scientific vocabulary.  As the children’s knowledge and understanding increases, and they become more proficient in selecting, using scientific equipment, collating and interpreting results, they become increasingly confident in their growing ability to come to conclusions based on real evidence.
• Working Scientifically skills are embedded into lessons to ensure these skills are being developed throughout the children’s school career and new vocabulary and challenging concepts are introduced through direct teaching. This is developed through the years, in-keeping with the topics.
• Teachers demonstrate how to use scientific equipment, and the various Working Scientifically skills in order to embed scientific understanding. Teachers find opportunities to develop children’s understanding of their surroundings by accessing outdoor learning and workshops with experts.

Impact

Each topic ends with a piece of work which demonstrates the knowledge and understanding that the children have developed during the unit of work. This learning is then built upon next time that the children visit this area of learning within Science and any gaps in understanding can be addressed. Each lesson builds on the previous lesson in a sequence of carefully planned lessons and each year group’s curriculum builds on from the previous year group. Subject and school leaders monitor the impact of our curriculum provision through completing regular monitoring, that includes listening to the voice of our children.