Intent

At Shawfield we believe that the science curriculum should inspire children; encourage them to be inquisitive about the world; nurture their innate curiosity and enable them to develop a range of skills that are useful across their learning both now and in their future lives. Having an understanding of science allows people to make informed decisions about new technologies, their health and other important matters. We believe inspiring science teaching arises from lessons that place scientific enquiry at the heart of the science curriculum. It develops both scientific knowledge and conceptual understanding to a level where they can be used to understand the uses and implications of science, today and for the future.

Implementation

As a school we follow the National Curriculum for Science which is supplemented Kent's Science Scheme of Work.

Science is taught as a discrete subject to ensure complete coverage of the national curriculum skills but there are cross-curricular links made to other subjects where appropriate.

Knowledge and skills in this scheme of work have been carefully sequenced across units and years because we know that, ‘when knowledge is well structured, it becomes meaningful, flexible and easier to access. This knowledge can then be used to solve complex, and interesting, scientific problems without overloading working memory’ (Ofsted research review series: science).

Activities are carefully chosen so that they match specific curriculum intent. 
Teachers use systematic teaching approaches, where learning is scaffolded using carefully sequenced explanations, models, analogies and other representations to help pupils to acquire, organise and remember scientific knowledge.
Teaching takes account of the limited working-memory capacity of their pupils when planning lessons.
Children are not expected to arrive at scientific explanations by themselves without sufficient prior knowledge. Systematic approaches, alongside carefully selected texts, are used to teach the most important vocabulary in science.
Children have regular opportunities in the early years and primary classrooms to learn vocabulary through story and non-fiction books, rhymes, songs and oral rehearsal.

Significant contributors within the field of science

Research into primary science has shown that when children learn about the work of specific scientists that link closely to the content they are learning at the time, this helps them to develop an accurate and genuine understanding of science: for example knowing that scientific research is not just carried out by men in white coats working in laboratories (Ofsted, 2023). Within each unit there is specific reference to two significant individuals - one beyond living memory and one within living memory. These have been carefully selected to illustrate how scientific knowledge within the topic has developed over time and continues to shape new discoveries and innovations to this day. There has been careful consideration to ensure representation across the globe and around the different protected characteristics as defined by The Equality Act, 2010. Please note that it is not the intention for children to remember each of the significant individuals or their specific achievements referenced throughout the units of work. These have been included to provide context and build a sense of capital within the subject.

Impact

Children enjoy science lessons and are able to talk about their learning.  Books show a progression in skills and coverage of topics.  Teachers are using Can I statements as a prompt for each lesson.  More evidence is needed of children using PODME for investigations.