Science

Statement of Impact

 We live in an increasingly scientific and technological age where children need to acquire the knowledge, skills and attitudes to prepare them for life in the 21st century. We, at Oasis Academy Henderson Avenue believe that the teaching of science develops in children an interest and curiosity about the world in which they live. Through the driver of community, we want our children to foster a respect for the local environment and the wider world and how science plays a pivotal role in improving our future. We would like children to be mindful of the role science plays in everyday situations and how it can impact our lives and improve them for the better. Through the driver of possibilities, we want our children to understand what a scientist does and how this scientific knowledge helps us in many professions and careers, which they may aspire to.

 

·       Through the framework of the National Curriculum, science aims to: develop scientific knowledge and conceptual understanding through the specific disciplines of Biology, Chemistry and Physics;

·       Equip children to use themselves as starting points for learning about science, and to build on their enthusiasm and natural sense of wonder about the world

·       Develop through practical work the skills of observation, prediction, investigation, interpretation, communication, questioning and hypothesizing, and increased use of precise measurement skills and ICT

·       Encourage and enable pupils to offer their own suggestions, and to be creative in their approach to science, and to gain enjoyment from their scientific work

·       Enable children to develop their skills of co-operation through working with others, and to encourage where possible, ways for children to explore science in forms which are relevant and meaningful to them

·       Teach scientific enquiry through contexts taken from the National Curriculum for science

·       Encourage children to collect relevant evidence and to question outcome and to persevere

·       Encourage children to treat the living and non-living environment with respect and sensitivity

·       Stress the need for personal and group safety by the correct usage and storage of resources

·       To enable children to appreciate that we do not always know the answers and results when carrying out scientific enquiry 

 

Statement of Implementation

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. Our whole school approach to the teaching and learning of science involves the following;

Children have weekly lessons in Science throughout Key Stage 1 and 2, using various programmes of study and resources. In Early years, science is taught through the children learning about the world around them in their learning through play. Additional opportunities are provided in Science, 

We endeavour to ensure that the Science curriculum we provide will give children the confidence and motivation to continue to further develop their skills into the next stage of their education and life experiences.

 Science will be taught every week in cyclical cycle, building on previous knowledge learnt in current milestones and previous milestones

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. Planning involves teachers creating engaging lessons, often involving high-quality resources to aid understanding of conceptual knowledge. 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 skill development of the previous years. 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.

 

Statement of Impact
 

 Children enjoy and are enthusiastic about science in our academy. There is a clear progression of children’s work and teachers’ expectations in our academy. Children’s work shows a range of topics and evidence of the curriculum coverage for all science topics. Children are becoming increasingly independent in science, selecting their own tools and materials, completing pupil lead investigations and choosing their own strategies for recording. Feedback from teachers has impact on our pupils, often with next step questions to push learning on. Standards in science at the end of the key stages are good and in-line with national standards and issues arising are addressed effectively in academy. Teachers’ judgements are moderated internally in Milestone meetings and externally at Science Regional Improvement Networks. Our SLT and Hub Councillors are kept up to date with developments in the way science is run in our academy with Faculty meetings and curriculum updates.