Science
Welcome to our Science page.
Intent
At Seven Stars, we love delving into the world of exploration and investigation.
Please also visit the Knowledge Organisers section of our Curriculum page where you will find a Science Knowledge Organiser for each unit in each year group (so you can see what key knowledge, vocabulary and concepts the children are learning in each year group and what knowledge has gone before and is coming up)
OUR SCIENCE VISION
‘At Seven Stars we discover and explore the word around us using practical and hands on experiences that encourage our curiosity and questioning.’
We carry this out through our key principles. Our teachers aim to include the key principles as part of their Working Scientifically lessons. Our key principles are reviewed yearly.
The Curriculum
Our Open Doors Policy
At Seven Stars we want to open doors for our children that might otherwise be closed in order to provide them with the knowledge, understanding and skills for them to become successful learners who can aspire to a life of flourishing and contribute to the flourishing of others in society.
Science plays a vital role in providing an open doors curriculum for our children. We can use Science in each aspect of our Open door policy to ensure our children become successful learners
1. Core knowledge and skills
The teaching of science knowledge is embedded through practical enquiry and investigation. This hands on approach develops the children’s enquiry and investigation skills. We use a number of strategies that makes the knowledge stick and the knowledge and skills progress over the child’s time in school.
2. The World
At Seven Stars our children enquire, investigate and question the world around them. From early years through to year 6, our children spend time outside exploring and understanding our environment. We look at the impact of humans on our world and how we can play a vital role in protecting our planet. Our classes regularly go on trips, residential and invite visitors in school to get different experiences and perspectives of science in the wider world that they wouldn’t normally get.
3. Healthy body, Healthy Mind and Healthy Lives
Each year group at Seven stars focuses on the human body and how it works. By year 6 we aim for our children to have a good understanding of themselves and what is going on as they grow and develop.
Science links with both our PE and PSHE curriculum looking at how exercise or lack of affects our body and mind. The children explore how we can keep our bodies healthy thinking about diet, exercise but also what might be harmful to us.
4. Creativity
At Seven Stars we recognise that each children learns and develops as an individual and we all see the world through different eyes. We encourage creativity in science by recording and reporting in a variety of ways using drama, ICT, models and observational drawing. You might find us recording our knowledge on T-shirts, tables or windows! We work practically as often as we can and celebrate new ways of recording and sharing our work.
5. Communication and language
Language is a key element in our scientific knowledge which is why scientific vocabulary can be seen throughout school. We aim for children to be able to think and explain like a scientist. Discussion and questioning is used in every lesson and children are encouraged to use key scientific language in their discussion and explanation.
Each class covers Science Objectives from the National Curriculum which are taught discretely in Science sessions once a week. We often invite visitors in to help us understand Science in the wider world and we take part in many extra-curricular activities such as gardening club and outdoor learning.
Our Science ambassadors from each class help promote our Science principles in the classroom and suggest new ways making sure Science has a strong grounding throughout school.
Implementation
How do we deliver Science at Seven Stars Primary School?
. All classes are given Medium term planning through the use of the Developing Experts scheme of work which has been approved by subject lead through consultation of the staff and governors.
. Each science unit comes with a knowledge organiser that is visible in their science books and used by the children.
. Science is taught for at least 1 hour each week and in some cases up to 2 hours depending on the unit taught. This is taken from the medium term planning from the Developing Experts scheme.
. Teachers use a variety of resources to ensure hands on and practical learning so children can test their knowledge and apply their skills effectively. The resources from developing experts are interactive and provide real examples of science used in the wider world.
.Teachers are free to teach which unit when they see fit but some units such as seasons are covered over the whole year to observe change.
. Special STEM weeks are planned into the timetable each year where the children can focus on a particular scientific enquiry skill and research a famous scientist.
. Visitors are invited into school from Stem Ambassadors to give children insight into the real world of Science and compliment our Developing Expert curriculum.
. Two science ambassadors from each class are picked to develop science capital around school and represent Science in school events.
. All children have an individual science book and group scrap books for recording group investigation work.
. Assessment in Science takes place through lessons with quiz questions, mind maps and information retrieval. Children also complete the end of unit assessments which will then inform teacher's planning.
Impact
The impact of our Science teaching is evident in our work and environment.
- Children will have the scientific knowledge and skills and needed to investigate the world around them, make choices and solve enquiry problems.
- Through our science curriculum they gain a better understanding of science in real life and how it is used in different jobs and roles.
- Children are becoming independent learners having strong opinions that can be backed up with scientific evidence.
- Children will have a secure understanding of, and be able to apply the scientific skills that progress through each year group.
- Children can question the world around them and find ways to answer their questions
- Children can test fairly, measure and observe change
- Impact is measured through qualitative assessment as mentioned above. In addition, we measure impact by carrying out annual pupil/staff/parent questionnaires and interviews as well as working closely with the Science ambassadors
- We currently hold the Primary Science Quality Mark
Science around School
At Seven Stars, each class has a science display board that shows what they are doing in science that term. It also shows the current key principles that we are focusing on in our lessons this year. We have science exercise books to record our individual work and big books to record our group investigations. We have a fantastic outdoor area which includes vegetable planters and our own eco greenhouse. There is a bug hotel and an area of trees and bushes which are great for nature exploration. Our science work is often displayed in the school corridor and at Science events in school like the Science Fair and dedicated assemblies.