SCIENCE POLICY

This policy was updated: September, 2015.

This policy will be reviewed: September, 2016.

Statutory policy: No

RAVENSHEADCHURCH OF ENGLANDPRIMARY SCHOOL

SCIENCE POLICY

Our School Vision

Together, the best that we can be.

Our School Mission

Reflecting Christian Values expressed in all aspects of the school’s life displaying acceptance and mutual respect.

Caring and Nurturing with children and adults having high expectations, celebrating success and making their contribution to a safe, fun, positive and stimulating environment.

Exceptional Children who are encouraged to make exceptional progress in academic, creative, moral, social and spiritual development and to become lifelong learners.

Partnerships with strong relationships between children, families, staff, governors, the church and the community as a whole.

Introduction

This policy is a statement of our aims, principles and strategies for the future improvement of teaching and learning of Science across the school.Science is a core subject which should be taught weekly, in depth and with the opportunity for progression, enrichment and secure understanding for all children throughout school.

What is Science?

Science education should provide the foundations for understanding the world through the specific disciplines of biology, chemistry and physics. Science has changed our lives and is vital to the world’s future. All pupils should be taught essential aspects of the knowledge, methods and uses of science. Through developing a secure understanding of key foundational knowledge and concepts, they should be encouraged to recognise the power of rational explanation and develop a sense of excitement and curiosity about natural phenomena. They should be encouraged to understand how these concepts and knowledge can be used for explanation of what is occurring, prediction of how things will behave, and analysis of causes. This understanding should be consolidated through appreciation of specific applications in the world around us.

Aims

  • To ensure complete coverage of the National Curriculum 2014.
  • To develop secure scientific knowledge and understanding of biology, chemistry and physics.
  • To develop secure understanding of the nature, processes and methods of science through practical investigation and exploration.
  • To develop the chn’s ability to think and apply the scientific knowledge and understanding they have developed using thinking skills.
  • To equip children with the ability to understand its uses and implications today and for the future.
  • To equip children with key scientific vocabulary which they use accurately.
  • To provide opportunities to apply mathematical knowledge in scientific situations.
  • To support children in developing the way in which they work scientifically, asking questions, making predictions, making observations, recording and presenting evidence, drawing conclusions and evaluating their work.
  • To promote independence and cooperation in learning, creating an ethos in which children construct their own understanding of scientific concepts, building on and modifying their existing ideas.
  • To ensure that staff are well equipped to impart their own secure subject knowledge to help children learn effectively.
  • To create a positive scientific environment across the school.
  • To develop a sense of care, wonder, responsibiilty and interest for our environment.
  • To encourage better than expected progress throughout school through secure assessment and monitoring of progress.

Progression

The National Curriculum programmes of study describe a sequence of knowledge and concepts. Although children need to make adequate progress, it is vital that they develop a secure understanding of each key block of knowledge and concepts in order to progress to the next stage of the sequence. Insecure, superficial understanding will not allow genuine progression - pupils can struggle at transition points, build up serious misconceptions, and/or experience significant difficulties with higher-order content.

  • The blocks must be covered in the prescribed year group and teachers must look for gaps in blocks from previous year groups before moving on to secure current understanding.
  • To enrich and extend understanding, teachers must provide opportunities for the children to apply, evaluate, justify and explain the knowledge and understanding they have developed using Bloom’s Hierarchy of Thinking Skills (stretching in depth, rather than hurrying on to the following year group’s blocks).
  • Regular formative assessment and elicitation should influence further teaching in terms of filling gaps or extending understanding.

Teaching

  • Science is a core subject and must be taught with that in mind. It must be taught for 1hr – 1.5hrs every week in KS1 and 1.5hrs -2hrs every week in KS2.
  • Science may be taught alongside related themed curriculum areas to fit in with a given topic, but the importance of the scientific knowledge, skills and understanding must have importance.
  • “Working Scientifically” should play a central role within Science lessons and units of work, ideally with sessions taking on “dual objectives” in which there is a “Knowledge” focus and a “Working Scientifically” focus.
  • During each year, children should experience each main type of scientific enquiry – Observation (inc over time), pattern seeking, fair testing, identifying and classifying and researching using secondary sources.
  • It is important for the children to be able to review and consolidate their learning rather than moving on without securely understanding.
  • Planning should regularly feature opportunities for formative assessment in which misconceptions can be identified and worked upon, or alternatively, strengths can be identified and built upon further.
  • Planning should include use of ICT to support the teaching of scientific concepts and investigation, as well to capture and inspire the children’s interests.
  • Questioning and discussion should be aimed to develop higher order thinking skills rather than pure recall of facts.
  • Creative Thinking Skills activities should be incorporated to challenge children’s understandingand discussion e.g. odd one out.
  • Full investigations should follow Discovery Dog planning (KS1) and Post It planning (KS2) or templates used form Snap Science.
  • Key scientific vocabulary must be a key focus.

Assessment

  • Achievement will be monitored continually by teaching staff through varied formative assessments each lesson. These could include Concept Cartoons, True/False, Odd One Out… These can be found in Active Assessment or the LCP assessment CDROM. Questions could also be taken and adapted from the Windmill or Rising stars assessments.
  • Rising Stars assessments tests should be used termly.
  • We are hoping to use Target Tracker as a form of assessment to fit in with the new curriculum. This will allow for tracking of progress across the objectives and will also highlight strengths, weaknesses and particular children that may be struggling in Science.

Extra Opportunities

  • Visits will be carried out when applicable to extend and enrich Science. Guest speakers could also visit the children in school.
  • Each year the school runs a popular Mad Science club, run by outside providers. This presents Science in a fun, interesting and motivating manner to the children. There is also a Garden Club which runs each Friday, focusing on environmental aspects.
  • We are aiming to make more use of our outdoor environment over the coming years to tie in with the new curriculum.

Resources

  • The school has 1 store room at the front of the Infant Building that is currently undergoing improvements. Resources will be kept in clearly labelled trays. There are also trays of useful ideas, assessments and activities.This area should be maintained by all staff ie put things back in the correct location after they have been used, so that they can easily be found by somebody else.
  • New resources are purchased yearly to support the curriculum.
  • Staff will be updated of any new resources.
  • Resources and tools for the School Garden Project are kept in the Junior Quad or Science resource room.

Environmental Policy

  • The school has access to a valuable range of outdoor learning. We have Pilgrim Oak woods which can be used for wildlife and environmental based activities. Our Sensory Garden and Veg Patch are currently being improved and aim to be fully up and running and beautiful for 2015. The Sensory Garden is designed to be an interactive area with a range of plants that appeal to the senses, but also offer opportunities for the children to plant their own flowers to admire and attract wildlife. The Veg Patch is used to sow, care for and harvest a range of vegetables.
  • We have an enthusiastic Garden Club that helps to maintain the garden areas as well as participating in activities to further their own learning about plants and wildlife.
  • The Sensory Quad, Vegetable Patch and Pilgrim Oak Woods are can be used to support work on life cycles, health and growth, habitats, plants and animals and the environment, as well as being incorporated into other subjects such as Art or PSHE.
  • It is planned that Parents and the wider school community can be informed of activity in the school garden through school displays and entries in the newsletter.

Role of Coordinator

  • To set targets for and facilitate improvement across the school.
  • To manage and order resources.
  • To undertake staff training across the school where required.
  • To ensure that staff are equipped to improve Science teaching and learning.
  • To monitor, assess and review quality of teaching and learning in Science across the school through observation, work sampling or planning scrutiny.
  • To raise the profile of Science through encouraging visits, clubs and themed weeks etc.
  • To support and lead colleagues.
  • To discuss with the Headteacher, Governors and teaching staff the progress of the policy in school.

Health and safety

  • Pupils should be taught about hazards, risks and risk control.
  • They should begin to recognise hazards and take steps to control risks to themselves and others around them.
  • Please see Health and Safety in Science notes in the Science room for more detailed information.

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