Science

Click here to see the overview for Science 2023-2025

Intent

Our intent is to provide opportunities for children to develop as confident, articulate and well-rounded children who can succeed as individuals and contribute to their community and the wider world.

Broadfield Primary School aims to ensure that all children can develop scientific knowledge and conceptual understanding through the specific disciplines of Biology, Chemistry and Physics. They will develop an understanding of nature, processes and methods of science through different types of science enquiries, enabling them to answer scientific questions about the world around them. They are equipped with the scientific skills required to understand the uses and implications of science, today and for the future. We understand that it is important for lessons to have a skills-based focus, and that the knowledge can be taught through this.

Our school, encourages children to be inquisitive throughout their time within it and beyond. We believe science encompasses the acquisition of knowledge, concepts, skills and positive attitudes. Throughout the programmes of study, the children will acquire and develop the key knowledge that has been identified within each unit and across each year group, as well as the application of scientific skills. We ensure that the ‘Working Scientifically’ skills are built-on and developed throughout the children’s time at school so that they can apply their knowledge of science when using equipment; conducting experiments; building arguments; explaining concepts confidently; and as a consequence of this to continue to ask questions and be curious about their surroundings.

Implementation

Science contributes to our children’s SMSC development through: encouraging children to reflect on the wonder of the natural world; awareness of the ways that Science and Technology can affect society and the environment; consideration of the moral dilemmas that can result in scientific developments; showing respect for differing opinions, on creation for example; co-operation in practical activity; and raising awareness that scientific developments are the product of many.

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.

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, working walls and displays 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 whom have gaps in their learning, so that all children keep up.

We have recently achieved the PSQM award which also highlights our positive attitude towards Science, both within school and the wider world.

Children are encouraged to understand the world around them through key scientific themes such as: materials, living things, different environments and countries, natural phenomena and how things work through exploring different processes.

By engaging the children in Science using the above themes they begin to develop the scientific enquiry skills of observing, comparing, classifying, measuring, communicating, inferring and predicting. This gives the child the basic foundations they need as scientists to build on as they move up into KS1 and KS2.

We build upon the learning and skill development of the previous years. Regular simmering (which involves the repetitive learning of vocabulary, key skills and concepts of key skills) throughout each year group, will enhance the opportunity to commit these skills to their long term memories in this area of the curriculum.

As the children’s knowledge and understanding increases, and they become more proficient in selecting and 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 either; the topics, should they be Science driven; or stand-alone blocks.

Teachers demonstrate how to use scientific equipment, and the various Working Scientifically skills in order to embed scientific understanding. Teachers plan opportunities for our children to develop their surroundings by accessing outdoor learning and workshops with experts.

Children are offered a wide range of extra-curricular activities including Science Club, visits, trips and visitors to complement and broaden the curriculum. KS2 children regularly visit the Science Centre within Oldham Sixth Form College where they are exposed to further experiences within a laboratory setting. These are purposeful, link with the knowledge being taught in class and provide an excellent insight for the upper KS2 children as to what to expect when transitioning to high school. We encourage our children to participate in extra learning which contributes to the hours they earn for Children’s University.

Regular events, such as Science Week or topical science project days, allow all pupils to come off-timetable, to provide broader provision and the acquisition and application of knowledge and skills. These events often involve families and the wider community.

Assessment is both formative, through questioning and effective feedback; and summative, across a two-year cycle where the children focus on key concepts in science. Through Assertive Mentoring and formal testing every term the children have an awareness of the level of knowledge they have and the elements that they could improve on. As a result of this child led learning is encouraged and independent thinking is achieved.

Impact

The successful approach at Broadfield results in a fun, engaging, high-quality Science education, that provides children with the foundations and knowledge for understanding the world.

Our engagement with the local environment ensures that children learn through varied and first hand experiences of the world around them. Frequent, continuous and progressive learning outside the classroom is embedded throughout the science curriculum. Through various workshops, trips and interactions with experts and local charities, children have the understanding that science has changed our lives and that it is vital to the world’s future prosperity. The impact that we as humans, are having upon our planet, and what we can do to protect it also feature heavily through cross curricular links and issues raised by our school eco council.

Children learn the possibilities for careers in science by embracing Science Capital wholeheartedly. In addition, our community links and connection with national agencies such as: the STEM association, Ogden Trust, Mad Science and Oldham Sixth Form College enable the children to learn from and work with professionals, whilst 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 at Broadfield overwhelmingly enjoy science and this results in motivated learners with sound scientific understanding making Science a strength across the school.

We have recently achieved the PSQM award which also highlights our positive attitude towards Science, both within school and the wider world.

Pinnacle Learning Trust