Glebe Primary School

Science

Glebe Awarded Primary Science Quality Mark

 

We are pleased to announce that Glebe has been awarded The Primary Science Quality Mark!

The PSQM Award scheme enables schools to work together to share good practice and is supported by professional development led by local experts.  It is led by the University of Hertfordshire in collaboration with the Primary Science Teaching Trust.

Associate Professor Jane Turner, PSQM National Director said: “There was never a more important time for primary children to have a high-quality science education. The Coronavirus Pandemic has made everyone aware of the impact of science on our daily lives.  Primary schools have an important role to ensure that children understand how science works and keeps us healthy and safe. Schools that have achieved a Primary Science Quality Mark have demonstrated a significant commitment to science teaching and learning, even at this challenging time for schools.  The profile and quality of science in each awarded school is very high. Children are engaging with great science both in and outside the classroom, developing positive attitudes towards science as well as secure scientific understanding and skills. Science subject leaders, their colleagues, head teachers, children, parents and governors should be very proud.”

Science

Science teaches our pupils to acquire a way of thinking and working which can serve as a basis for understanding the world in which we live. It aims to stimulate pupils’ curiosity as to natural phenomena and supports them in gaining scientific knowledge. It teaches methods of enquiry and investigation to promote creative thinking, responsibility and independence.

Pupils learn to ask scientific questions and begin to appreciate the way in which science impacts the future on a local, national and global level. It aims to instil in our pupils a deep and lasting interest in science and provides them with an enjoyable experience.

Article 28 – Every child has the right to a good quality education.

Article 29 – Education should help children to develop their talents and abilities.

 

Subject Co-ordinator

A Misra, S Osei Wiredu

Link Governor

Mr Hemen Shah

Progression documents

science progression document.pdf

 

Science Progression documents

Intent, Implementation and Impact

 

Curriculum Intent

UNCRC Links

  • Article 28 (Children have the right to a good quality education)
  • Article 29 (Education should help children develop their talents and abilities)
  • Article 13 (Children have the freedom to express their thoughts and opinions)

At Glebe, our intention and vision for the Science curriculum supports all pupils to be:

  • provided with the foundations for understanding the world through the disciplines of biology, chemistry and physics
  • enabled to understand that science has changed our lives and is vital to the world’s future prosperity
  • taught essential aspects of the knowledge, methods, processes and uses of science
  • able to recognise the power of rational explanation
  • encouraged to develop a sense of excitement and curiosity about natural phenomena
  • encouraged in understanding how science can be used to explain what is occurring, predict how things will behave and analyse causes

 

Scientific knowledge and conceptual understanding

  • Through their regular Science lessons, pupils should:
  • be able to describe associated processes and key characteristics in common language, but also be familiar with and use technical terminology accurately and precisely.
  • build up an extended specialist vocabulary.
  • apply their mathematical knowledge to their understanding of science, including presenting and analysing data.
  • use a range of contexts to maximise pupils’ engagement with and motivation to study science.
  • seek answers to questions through collecting, analysing and presenting data.
  • have extensive experience of working scientifically, which specifies the understanding of the nature, processes and methods of science, which should be embedded within the topics, focusing on the key features of scientific enquiry to enable pupils to learn a variety of approaches to answer relevant scientific questions. These types of scientific enquiry should include:
  • observing over time;
  • pattern seeking;
  • identifying,
  • classifying and grouping;
  • comparative and fair testing (controlled investigations);
  • researching using secondary sources.

 

Scientific analysis is developed through IPROF criteria. We call it ‘Thinking Scientifically.’

• identifying and classifying

• pattern seeking

• research

• observing over time

• fair and comparative testing

By the end of EYFS we aim to ensure that:

Science is taught broadly through the EYFS development strand ‘Understanding the world’ as well as having links within some of the other strands. ‘Understanding the world’ is broken down further into ‘people and communities’, ‘the world’ and ‘technology’. Science is introduced indirectly through activities that encourage children to explore, problem solve, observe, predict, think, make decisions and talk about the world around them. Pupils begin to explore animals, people, plants and objects in their natural environment. They observe objects and materials to identify differences and similarities. Children also learn to use their senses to make clearer observations. Pupils are encouraged to ask questions about how and why things work.​

 

By the end of KS1 we aim for pupils to:

  • use simple features to compare objects, materials and living things and decide how to sort and group them
  • observe changes over time,
  • notice patterns and relationships
  • ask people questions and use simple secondary source to find answers
  • use simple measurements and equipment to gather data, carry out simple tests, record simple data and talk about what and how they have found out.
  • record and communicate their findings in a range of ways and begin to use simple scientific language.

By the end of KS2 we aim for pupils to:

  • plan different types of scientific enquiries to answer questions, including recognising and controlling variables where necessary
  • take measurements, using a range of scientific equipment, with increasing accuracy and precision, taking repeat readings when appropriate
  • record data and results of increasing complexity using scientific diagrams and labels, classification keys, tables, scatter graphs, bar and line graphs
  • use test results to make predictions to set up further comparative and fair tests
  • report and present findings from enquiries, including conclusions, causal relationships and explanations of and a degree of trust in results, in oral and written forms such as displays and other presentations
  • identify scientific evidence that has been used to support or refute ideas or arguments

 

Curriculum Implementation

Timetable

  • In the EYFS, Science is taught through the Early Learning Curriculum and is linked to objectives both in the within the Development Matters framework.
  • In KS1 and KS2, Science is timetabled weekly.
  • Glebe subjects are structured around a 36-week year and organised into a number of weeks of teaching and learning blocks which cover biology, chemistry and physics.
  • A Maths and Science week provides an opportunity for pupils to collaborate on various scientific projects and partake in a science fair, science workshops and perform or attend an assembly centred around scientific discoveries.

Subject leadership

  • The subject leader for Science regularly reviews planning, scrutinises pupils’ work and collates evidence to demonstrate attainment and progression within the subject. The faculty works with individual teachers, year groups, at both key stage and whole school level to ensure consistency and coherence across the curriculum.

Resources

  • A science working wall is situated in every classroom, which highlights the current topic being taught within a year group. Key scientific vocabulary is portrayed, which encourages pupils to use them in their spoken and written work. Pupils’ work is often displayed to emphasise expected standards of scientific learning, as well as key concepts and principles being conveyed. Photographic evidence of investigations or real-life science helps to bring abstract concepts to life for pupils.
  • An extensive collection of Science resources is utilised in the teaching and learning of Science, including those which model scientific processes, for example, human biology. These are stored centrally to support teachers to plan and deliver engaging and stimulating lessons.
  • A range of measuring equipment is stored to enable pupils to learn how to accurately and precisely record data, for example, measuring cylinders, pipettes, beakers and data loggers. Furthermore, microscopes are available to enable pupils to make clearer physical observations.
  • Detailed medium-term plans support the planning and teaching of each unit of work, with clear links to learning objectives that enable pupils to achieve the individual and linked objectives of each unit. The plans show the progression of skills throughout the year groups, which again supports the effective teaching and learning of Science.

Enrichment

  • Educational visits are an integral part of the curriculum at Glebe. They help bring Science ‘alive’ by making it concrete and providing real life examples of many scientific processes. Workshops are also often brought into school to provide all pupils with an enhanced experience.

 

Topics and rationale

EYFS

Science is taught broadly through the EYFS development strand ‘Understanding the world’ as well as having links within some of the other strands. ‘Understanding the world’ is broken down further into ‘people and communities’, ‘the world’ and ‘technology’. Science is introduced indirectly through activities that encourage children to explore, problem solve, observe, predict, think, make decisions and talk about the world around them. Pupils begin to explore animals, people, plants and objects in their natural environment. They observe objects and materials to identify differences and similarities.  Children also learn to use their senses to make clearer observations. Pupils are encouraged to ask questions about how and why things work.

 

KS1

In Year 1, pupils are introduced to the topic of ‘Plants’, where they begin to learn how to identify and name common plants in the local area and gain an understanding of the basic structure of plants by drawing diagrams. They may record how plants change across the seasons, which also ties in with the unit on ‘Seasonal Changes’. Pupils can work scientifically by making tables and charts about the weather in different seasons. ‘Animals including Humans’ introduces pupils to the various ways of classifying the animal kingdom and learning about ways to compare the animal groups. They begin to identify and label parts of the human body, linking the parts of our senses. In the topic of ‘Use of Everyday Materials’, pupils are taught about what materials various objects are made from, as well as describing the physical properties of these materials. They can perform simple tests to ask and answer questions about materials’ characteristics and uses.

 

In Year 2, ‘Animals including Humans’, allows pupils learn about the basic needs of animals and the importance of healthy living for humans. They work scientifically by observing how animals grow and change. Likewise, in the unit of ‘Plants’, they observe and describe how plants develop from seeds and bulbs. They are introduced to a comparative test by investigating how various factors affect the growth of plants. Pupils also identify what habitats are and how living things are adapted and suited to their environments in ‘Living things and their habitats’. Pupils progress to investigating how the shapes of solid materials can be changed when they study the unit ‘Uses of Everyday Materials’.

KS2

In Year 3, the ‘Plants’ unit enables pupils to build on their understanding of the requirements of plants for life and growth by learning about the way in which water is transported within plants. They explore the role of flowers in the life cycle of flowering plants. Through ‘Animals including Humans’, pupils are able to identify the functions of the skeletons and muscles in animals. They graduate to grouping animals with and without skeletons. In the ‘Light’ unit, pupils recognise the importance of light and explore the concepts of reflection and shadow forming. Pupils learn about the common forces that govern the movement of objects and the interaction between objects. In ‘Forces and Magnets’, they begin to identify some magnetic materials and make predictions about whether two magnets will attract or repel each other.  Pupils work scientifically by exploring different types of rocks and soils including those in their local environments in the ‘Rocks’ unit. They use comparing skills to group rocks based on their physical properties and recognise the formation and matter within rocks.

 

In Year 4, ‘Animals including Humans’ builds on prior knowledge about healthy living in animals by learning about the right types and amounts of nutrition, as well as comparing and contrasting diets of various animals. Pupils build on their understanding of the classification of living things in ‘All Living things’, by being introduced to classification keys and recognising that environments can change, affecting the livelihood of various species. They begin to consider the impact of humans on environments and link this to their understanding of citizenship in wider contexts. Pupils return to their learning about materials in ‘States of Matter’ and observe how materials change state when heated or cooled. They show understanding of the units of measure within temperature, as well as being introduced to the chemical processes of evaporation and condensation. The ‘Sound’ unit supports pupils in identifying how sounds are made and associate them with the vibration of particles. They recognise that vibrations must travel through a medium. They work scientifically by investigating the effect of various factors on volume and pitch. The ‘Electricity’ unit introduces the skill of using electrical symbols to represent components within a circuit. They create tests in order to work out if a lamp will light in a series circuit based on different variables by carefully observing patterns. They associate certain materials as insulators and conductors.

 

In Year 5, ‘Animals including Humans,’ develops pupils’ understanding of the changes that occur as humans develop into old age and research and compare gestation periods of various animals. They are able to describe the differences in the life cycles of various animal groups and learn about the process of reproduction in ‘Life Cycles’. In the ‘Properties of Everyday Materials and Reversible Changes’ unit, pupils continue with their understanding of material uses and changes by investigating their properties using tests. They will now understand that some materials dissolve and that this process can be reversed. They should be able to demonstrate reversible changes and identify how mixtures might be separated using a range of chemical processes. ‘Earth and Space’ enables pupils to describe the movement of planets relative to the Sun in the solar system and the idea of the Earth’s rotation to explain day and night. In ‘Forces’, pupils return to common forces and are now able to explain the role of gravity in causing objects to fall towards the Earth. They work scientifically by setting up tests to investigate the effects of air resistance, water resistance and friction.

 

In Year 6, pupils learn to name and identify the function and main parts of the human circulatory system and describe the functions of the various parts of the system in ‘Animals including Humans / Water Transportation’. They build on their learning about healthy lifestyles by recognising the impact of lifestyle choices on the way their bodies function. ‘Evolution and Inheritance’ introduces them to the impact of genes on their characteristics and that genes cause variation within a species. They build on their prior understanding of how living things are adapted by recognising how adaptation over time leads to evolution. They research the theories of evolution and learn about examples which highlight the concept of the survival of the fittest. They reinforce their previous learning about the formation of fossils and progress to identifying how fossils can provide evidence for evolution. Pupils return to ‘All Living Things and their Habitats’, by focusing on similarities and differences in order to classify all living things by observable characteristics. Pupils include micro-organisms as they understand that these are also living organisms. In the ‘Electricity’ unit, pupils progress to associating the brightness of a lamp or the volume of a buzzer within a circuit to the voltage of cells. They continue to expand on their use of known symbols for components within a circuit. The ‘Light’ unit allows pupils to use the idea that light travels in straight lines to explain that objects are seen due to emitting or reflecting light into the eye. They make predictions about the way light behaves, including light sources, reflection and shadows.

Curriculum Impact 

Assessment

  • Key scientific skills, concepts and knowledge are mapped through statements describing the expectations for pupils in each Year group. Teachers use the National Curriculum statements to regularly assess pupils’ learning against specific criteria. They are able to clearly identify end points (KS1/KS2) as well as the progression of skills as pupils move up through the year groups.
  • Teachers assess against Learning Intentions in individual lessons which are derived from the medium-term plans. Each lesson and series of lessons aims to incorporate the key skills and cover specified knowledge.
  • Progression in pupils’ working scientifically skills and understanding is further assessed by asking pupils in each year group to carry out the working scientifically skills.
  • Pupils access and embed core scientific language as an ongoing integral part of science lessons. There is a strong emphasis on vocabulary in the current curriculum.
  • Some science topics are assessed using end of topic Quizzes.

Monitoring

  • The school leadership regularly analyse Science data and identify gaps and areas for development at a whole school, key stage, year group and individual class level. The Subject leader will then address these areas to ensure the consistency and coherence of assessment in the subject (this may involve CPD, moderation or tailored support).
  • Regular scrutiny of pupils' work, lesson observations, learning walks, pupil conferencing, moderation opportunities are all carried out.
  • Pupils use their self-assessment to express how they feel about their learning in Science. They are also given opportunities to express their views and understanding of the Science curriculum through pupil conferencing and surveys.

Lessons

Pupils have ample opportunity both in science lessons and through cross curricular activities to engage in topics which explore biological, chemical and physical processes. Several units are often revisited in different year groups to allow pupils to explore topics in depth and to make clear links and progression between units of work. Scientific theories and important scientists are a part of what pupils learn during their lessons. Pupils are supported by the use of diagrams, key scientific vocabulary and a range of multimedia resources.

Working Scientifically

Working scientifically is embedded within our science curriculum. Pupils have a chance to develop their skills in observing, pattern-seeking, comparative, research using secondary sources, identifying and classifying and fair testing. They also have opportunities to strengthen their ability to ask scientific questions and design investigations which address these forms of enquiry. Pupils are taught to analyse and evaluate data and results and draw valid scientific conclusions.