Our Intent
The intent of our curriculum and vision for science at Lacock Primary School is to provide our children with opportunities which enable them to explore, discover and understand the world they live in - encouraging them to be curious, life-long science learners. We are passionate in the belief that all children have the absolute right to high quality teaching and learning with opportunities to ask questions, use and extend their scientific knowledge and vocabulary. We will enable them to seek the answers through practical experiences, exploration and investigation.
Our science curriculum aims to ensure that all children:
Implementation
We have developed a two year rolling cycle of science topics to cover key stage one, lower key stage two and upper key stage two. This is to ensure that despite our mixed age classes, all children will meet the requirements of the National Curriculum for their age group over a two year period.
Typically, at Lacock Primary School science will be weekly; one hour in KS1 and two hours in KS2. This allows time for the incremental acquisition of skills and knowledge and time to address misconceptions. There is a strong focus on working scientifically and providing children with opportunities to apply their knowledge. Children are encouraged to ask their own questions and be given opportunities to use their scientific skills and research to discover the answers.
Science learning at Lacock Primary School happens at the same time across the whole school. Years one and two are taught together irrespective of whether the children are in the same class. Year 3 and 4 are taught together, as are year 5 and 6. This means that some children move to a different class during our afternoon of science learning.
Our annual science week is an integral part of the school’s science offer. Our science week is developed through a strong STEM focus. Science week culminates with a whole school science fair where children can showcase their own learning and investigate the science learning across the school.
We encourage STEM Ambassador visits and Science input from science educators at local secondary schools, as well as visits from our science skilled parents ensuring that children have access to positive role models within the field of science from the immediate and wider local community. From this exposure to a range of different scientists from various backgrounds, all children feel they are scientists and capable of achieving. Children overwhelmingly enjoy science, and this results in motivated learners with sound scientific understanding.
We also ensure that children make the most of our outdoor learning area and the village for hands on learning.
Children at Lacock Primary School will also visit local Science Events such as ‘The Great Science Share’ at a local secondary school or Science based day trips to embed science topic learning.
Impact
Assessment for learning in science is continuous throughout the planning, teaching and learning cycle. We measure and assess the impact that our science curriculum is having through conducting learning walks, talking to pupils, observing lessons and monitoring of looking at children’s books which indicates that science is being delivered meaningfully and the children are gaining a range of practical experiences which is embedded in planning, questioning and carrying out investigations. Children’s learning is assessed against the age-related expectations for science. Below is an outline of the impact we are looking for in our pupils in the curriculum area of science:
The intent of our curriculum and vision for science at Lacock Primary School is to provide our children with opportunities which enable them to explore, discover and understand the world they live in - encouraging them to be curious, life-long science learners. We are passionate in the belief that all children have the absolute right to high quality teaching and learning with opportunities to ask questions, use and extend their scientific knowledge and vocabulary. We will enable them to seek the answers through practical experiences, exploration and investigation.
Our science curriculum aims to ensure that all children:
- develop scientific knowledge and conceptual understanding through the specific disciplines of biology, chemistry and physics
- develop understanding of the nature, processes and methods of science through different types of science enquiries that help them to answer scientific questions about the world around them
- are equipped with the scientific skills required to understand the uses and implications of science, today and for the future.
Implementation
We have developed a two year rolling cycle of science topics to cover key stage one, lower key stage two and upper key stage two. This is to ensure that despite our mixed age classes, all children will meet the requirements of the National Curriculum for their age group over a two year period.
Typically, at Lacock Primary School science will be weekly; one hour in KS1 and two hours in KS2. This allows time for the incremental acquisition of skills and knowledge and time to address misconceptions. There is a strong focus on working scientifically and providing children with opportunities to apply their knowledge. Children are encouraged to ask their own questions and be given opportunities to use their scientific skills and research to discover the answers.
Science learning at Lacock Primary School happens at the same time across the whole school. Years one and two are taught together irrespective of whether the children are in the same class. Year 3 and 4 are taught together, as are year 5 and 6. This means that some children move to a different class during our afternoon of science learning.
Our annual science week is an integral part of the school’s science offer. Our science week is developed through a strong STEM focus. Science week culminates with a whole school science fair where children can showcase their own learning and investigate the science learning across the school.
We encourage STEM Ambassador visits and Science input from science educators at local secondary schools, as well as visits from our science skilled parents ensuring that children have access to positive role models within the field of science from the immediate and wider local community. From this exposure to a range of different scientists from various backgrounds, all children feel they are scientists and capable of achieving. Children overwhelmingly enjoy science, and this results in motivated learners with sound scientific understanding.
We also ensure that children make the most of our outdoor learning area and the village for hands on learning.
Children at Lacock Primary School will also visit local Science Events such as ‘The Great Science Share’ at a local secondary school or Science based day trips to embed science topic learning.
Impact
Assessment for learning in science is continuous throughout the planning, teaching and learning cycle. We measure and assess the impact that our science curriculum is having through conducting learning walks, talking to pupils, observing lessons and monitoring of looking at children’s books which indicates that science is being delivered meaningfully and the children are gaining a range of practical experiences which is embedded in planning, questioning and carrying out investigations. Children’s learning is assessed against the age-related expectations for science. Below is an outline of the impact we are looking for in our pupils in the curriculum area of science:
- Children are knowledgeable about the scientific content of each unit of learning
- Children can set up an investigation based around scientific thinking.
- Children are engaged in science lessons, asking scientific questions and being curious.
- Children’s work shows a range of topics and evidence of the curriculum coverage for all science topics.
- There is clear progression of children’s work and teachers’ expectations in our school.
- Children are becoming increasingly independent in science, selecting their own tools and materials, completing pupil lead investigations and choosing their own methods for recording.
- Children can use scientific vocabulary to communicate their understanding
- Children can present science learning using where appropriate maths and literacy skills.
- Children can make meaningful cross-curricular and wider world links.
- Verbal and written feedback from teachers has impact on our pupils learning, often with next step questions to move learning on.
Our Science Knowledge Organisers
| Beech Science animals including humans |
| EYFS minibeasts understanding the world |
| EYFS plants understanding the world |
| Year 1 and 2 materials and their properties |
| Year 1 and 2 science plants |
| Year 1 and 2 knowledge organiser science living things |
| Science year 3 and 4 electricity |
| Science year 3 and 4 plants |
| Science year 3 and 4 sound |
| Year 5 and 6 materials knowledge organiser |
| Year 5 and 6 living things and habitats knowledge organiser |