Science Lead: Amy Jagla

What is Science?

At Trent Young’s, we believe that Science is the study of the physical and natural world through the testing of theories. Scientists seek to check theories are correct by conducting experiments and investigations into specific hypotheses. They ensure to work scientifically and use scientific enquires to help explain or disregard certain theories.

Our Curriculum Intent

Within our primary Science curriculum, we have split it into three main strands: biology, physics and chemistry. We ensure that every unit within these strands is taught in depth with many opportunities for experiments and investigations, allowing our pupils to become keen scientists. The scientific enquiries that the children look into include pattern seeking, observations over time, fair testing, identification and classification and research. Children learn about a variety of theorists and theories and put them to the test – they produce their own predictions around a theory and ensure to use one or more of the scientific enquiry skills to check if their prediction is correct. Throughout their time at Trent Young’s, they will progress into independent scientists and, by the end of KS2, are expected to summarise the investigation at hand and successfully conclude if their prediction was correct, using scientific reasoning behind it. In addition to Scientific experiments in class, we also ensure time for hands-on school trips linked with the Science curriculum.  

Our Curriculum Implementation

We use ‘Plymouth Science’ as a starting point for our curriculum. There is a clear purpose and context to every unit and children acquire important, essential knowledge and vocabulary and apply a growing repertoire of scientific enquiry skills that they use throughout investigations and experiments.

In Key Stage 1, children begin to work scientifically, with support, through observing over time, seeking patterns and identifying and classifying items. By the end of Key Stage 2, children will leave Trent Young’s as keen scientists who can confidently conduct scientific investigations with a clear prediction, recordings and a summary, often through comparative/fair testing. Children will also grow in independence to do scientific research by using secondary sources and can use their prior knowledge from Key Stage 1 to solve problems.

• In Key Stage 1, we have a two-year rolling programme, whereas in Key Stage 2 the children are split into their year groups to learn the appropriate units from the National Curriculum.

• Learning is delivered through an enquiry-based approach where the children learn new scientific theories and then use scientific enquiry skills to test these theories. By the end of Key Stage 2, children will be more able to give scientific reasons for their predictions, record findings and then summarise it through explaining why their prediction was correct or not.

• We usually teach one science unit per half term and organise them into three branches: biology, chemistry and physics. Children are made aware of which strand their new unit is under, and why, at the beginning of each unit. This is then recalled throughout the half term.

• At the beginning of each unit, children complete a concept map to represent their knowledge of the unit. This also allows opportunities for teachers to check for misconceptions and quickly dismiss these.

• At the end of a unit, children reflect on their concept map and add their knew learning to it in a different colour. This assessment shows us how much the teaching has impacted their learning.  In addition, children do an end of term quiz to see how much of the learning has been remembered. This also gives children the opportunity to think back to their previous learning, whilst still learning new information.

• Each unit lists essential vocabulary that must be taught and attempted to be used by pupils verbally and in their writing.

• Links are made with prior learning, and when appropriate, with other subjects (mostly maths, PSHE and computing).

Our Curriculum Impact

The evaluation of learning takes place in a number of ways:  

•  Assessment takes place throughout each lesson, using formative strategies such as asking challenging recap questions, verbal and written feedback, observations of children’s scientific enquiries and investigations and through their concept maps for each unit.  

• All lessons begin with a retrieval task to support prior learning, albeit from the pupils’ current unit or one in a previous year group.  

• The knowledge builders allow teachers to identify pupils’ prior knowledge and can build upon this in each unit. The progression of disciplinary concepts allows teachers to make judgements at the end of each unit; these judgements are recorded on Insight. 

Curriculum Drivers:

More in-depth documentation is available on request for our science curriculum.