Science at Felbridge

What are we aiming for?

At Felbridge Primary School we want our children to be naturally curious about the world around them and to feel a sense of awe and wonder about natural phenomena. We feel it is beneficial for our children to recognise the importance of science in all aspects of daily life. Our aim is to provide a science curriculum which enables our pupils to confidently explore and discover the world around them, in order that they have a deeper understanding of the world in which we live. We want our children to respect all living organisms. We want our children to be curious and ask questions.

How we will achieve our aims

• Teachers and children have a clear idea about the vision and principles of science at Felbridge. A poster outlining this is displayed in every classroom and referred to regularly when teaching science.    

• Science is taught in weekly sessions that focus around a particular topic/unit of study, which lasts between 6 and 12 weeks. Depending on the unit of study, teaching might involve extended lessons over a morning, day or week. Many units are revisited and built on in other year groups. The unit, ‘Animals including Humans’ is taught in every year group from Years 1-6.  

• Year 1 to Year 6 teachers use Knowledge Matrices from the Association for Science Education as a starting point to plan lessons. The matrices ensure statements for national curriculum for each year group are met. Teachers either make their own resources or tap into a variety of high-quality resources available to them to aid the children’s learning. In EYFS, the teacher thinks carefully about interesting topics that excite the children  

• Where appropriate, we use a cross curricular approach to science. We believe that this helps our children to make links between science and ‘real life’ and other areas of their learning. A cross-curricular approach allows us to fully immerse our children in their science learning which in turn results in greater enthusiasm for, and interest in, the subject. EYFS engages children in discussions during continuous provision sessions.  

• Where possible, we ensure that our science lessons provide lots of exciting, practical, hands-on activities and investigations where they are given the opportunity to explore, discover and gain scientific knowledge. We know that when children physically experience their learning, it is both more meaningful and memorable. In EYFS and Key Stage 1 classes,  ‘floorbooks’ have been successfully trialled where children guide their learning own learning and are involved in practical activities that evolve from this.  

• We are very fortunate to have school grounds which include both a woodland area and a pond, both of which are used to enhance the children’s scientific learning experiences. We strongly encourage our children to be curious and to ask questions.  

• To further enrich our science curriculum, in Autumn Term 2 ,we will start to adopt a Science Capital teaching approach that encapsulates all the science-related knowledge, attitudes, experiences and social contacts that an individual may have. This will be supported with additional activities / learning opportunities and visitors to the school who provide exciting assemblies and hands on workshops for the children. Where possible, science focused trips are arranged.  

• There is a steady progression of skills from Reception to Year 6 with a leading strand of scientific enquiry throughout. Children are encouraged to pose questions, plan and carry out investigations independently and work as part of a group. 

• We frequently highlight the ‘working scientifically’ skills to our children – all classes have an age-appropriate working scientifically skills sheet, either displayed in class or in children’s books, with which they are very familiar.  

How does science at Felbridge Primary School promote diversity?

• We have high expectations of all children, regardless of gender/culture/background 

• When discussing science in relation to future jobs / careers, we emphasise that all jobs / careers are possible for both genders and that it is not necessary to follow a traditional career path 

• Children learn about a variety of famous scientists, of both genders and of a variety of nationalities 

How does science at Felbridge help children develop an understanding of SMSC?

• Social – children of all abilities work together to support each other’s learning 

• Social – working in pairs / small groups encourages working as part of a team 

• Social – asking for and accepting help from others 

• Moral – supporting and encouraging peers in their learning 

• Moral – offering praise and celebrating the achievements of others 

• Moral – testing theories and hypotheses. Should we or shouldn’t we conduct an investigation? 

• Spiritual – awe and wonder e.g. understanding a new concept / discovering something new 

• Spiritual – receiving praise from others 

• Spiritual – a sense of pride and achievement when understanding a new concept 

• Cultural – learning about the world around you and the impact that we have on the world 

How does science at Felbridge Primary School ensure that pupil premium, SEND and other disadvantaged children can fully access the curriculum?

• TAs and LSAs support in lessons
• Scribing
• Work is appropriately differentiated
• Differentiated questioning
• Support for teachers from external agencies, e.g. speech and language

What will our approach result in?

The impact of our science curriculum is monitored and evaluated in a variety of ways, to ensure that it is effective and meets the needs of all children: 

• All children have excellent behaviour for, and attitudes towards, learning in science 

• All children are able to communicate their scientific knowledge and understanding confidently and effectively and use this knowledge when investigating 

• All children are able to ask questions in science and to further develop their scientific understanding through this approach 

• All children are very familiar with the ‘working scientifically’ skills appropriate to their age 

• Ongoing formative assessments show that children are achieving learning objectives and that some children have explored areas of science at a greater depth 

• Year 6 children are ready for the next stage of their scientific journey at secondary school