Science

Curriculum intent

“Science at Halfway Nursery Infant School excites, stimulates and incites awe in pupils regarding the world around them. Our approach to science fosters a positive attitude, confidence both inside and outside of the classroom, and a high level of engagement towards their learning. Pupils will make links between their scientific knowledge, the world around them, and other parts of the curriculum. Pupils will acquire scientific language and work on scientific skills. They are offered high quality learning opportunities where they can develop as scientists.”

Science at Halfway Nursery Infant School is designed to develop our pupil’s curiosity and ways of working to enable them to make sense of the world in which they live through investigation, as well as using and applying process skills. We believe that a broad balanced science education is the entitlement of all children, regardless of ethnic origin, gender, class, aptitude or disability. The aim of our science curriculum is to:

• As scientists we gain new knowledge, key facts and use scientific vocabulary.
• As scientists we ask questions, observe, predict and investigate.
• As scientists we will discuss, justify, reason and conclude.
• Science is practical and thought provoking.
• Science challenges us to think independently, challenge ideas and problem solve
•  Science learning is enhanced through visitors and trips.
• Science is linked to other subject areas such as mathematics and design technology and computing. 

Curriculum implementation

Through a well sequenced science curriculum pupils develop an understanding of the practices of science, pupils learn how scientific knowledge becomes established through scientific enquiry. By learning this, pupils appreciate the nature and status of scientific knowledge and understand that it is open to revision based on new scientific evidence. Curriculum objectives are taken as progressive steps from the PLAN document, which breaks down curriculum objectives into small steps for core fundamental areas. This document provides a progression of both substantive and disciplinary knowledge which children need to master in order to progress as scientific learners over the key stage.

Vocabulary is integral to the science curriculum at Halfway as it enables pupils to talk about the phenomena they are learning about. Core vocabulary pupils need to acquire has been identified using the PLAN documents.

Vocabulary is introduced in a sequential and progressive manner. New vocabulary is explicitly taught in context and opportunity to revisit prior vocabulary is built into teacher planning.

Impact

Curriculum assessment

Pre-assessments, developed by the Primary Science Teaching Trust, are used to identify pupils' starting points in any given content area within a year group.  Teachers use this pre-assessment to adapt and alter medium term plans if gaps in prior knowledge are needed to be plugged before progressing to the current year group substantive and disciplinary knowledge content.

Lesson learning objectives are chosen carefully and tasks are designed to meet with the intent. Within daily lessons students are assessed against their ability to meet with this intent. This may be done through teacher verbal or written assessment, peer assessment or self-assessment. Milestone pieces are identified within the planning stage and teachers will remotely mark these to determine if students are secure in the substantive knowledge the milestone assesses.

 ‘Flashback’ activities are also undertaken regularly throughout each unit of work to ensure that pupils are remembering key knowledge from the unit being taught, the unit from the previous half term and the foundational knowledge previously taught in a prior year group that links to the current science unit.

 Practical assessment

Practical assessment is undertaken using the PSTT assessment wheel, teachers highlight one area of focus within working scientifically for a practical assessment and the skills which underpin this. 

Science whole school overview

Science

Curriculum intent

“Science at Halfway Nursery Infant School excites, stimulates and incites awe in pupils regarding the world around them. Our approach to science fosters a positive attitude, confidence both inside and outside of the classroom, and a high level of engagement towards their learning. Pupils will make links between their scientific knowledge, the world around them, and other parts of the curriculum. Pupils will acquire scientific language and work on scientific skills. They are offered high quality learning opportunities where they can develop as scientists.”

Science at Halfway Nursery Infant School is designed to develop our pupil’s curiosity and ways of working to enable them to make sense of the world in which they live through investigation, as well as using and applying process skills. We believe that a broad balanced science education is the entitlement of all children, regardless of ethnic origin, gender, class, aptitude or disability. The aim of our science curriculum is to:

• As scientists we gain new knowledge, key facts and use scientific vocabulary.
• As scientists we ask questions, observe, predict and investigate.
• As scientists we will discuss, justify, reason and conclude.
• Science is practical and thought provoking.
• Science challenges us to think independently, challenge ideas and problem solve
•  Science learning is enhanced through visitors and trips.
• Science is linked to other subject areas such as mathematics and design technology and computing. 

Curriculum implementation

Through a well sequenced science curriculum pupils develop an understanding of the practices of science, pupils learn how scientific knowledge becomes established through scientific enquiry. By learning this, pupils appreciate the nature and status of scientific knowledge and understand that it is open to revision based on new scientific evidence. Curriculum objectives are taken as progressive steps from the PLAN document, which breaks down curriculum objectives into small steps for core fundamental areas. This document provides a progression of both substantive and disciplinary knowledge which children need to master in order to progress as scientific learners over the key stage.

Vocabulary is integral to the science curriculum at Halfway as it enables pupils to talk about the phenomena they are learning about. Core vocabulary pupils need to acquire has been identified using the PLAN documents.

Vocabulary is introduced in a sequential and progressive manner. New vocabulary is explicitly taught in context and opportunity to revisit prior vocabulary is built into teacher planning.

Impact

Curriculum assessment

Pre-assessments, developed by the Primary Science Teaching Trust, are used to identify pupils' starting points in any given content area within a year group.  Teachers use this pre-assessment to adapt and alter medium term plans if gaps in prior knowledge are needed to be plugged before progressing to the current year group substantive and disciplinary knowledge content.

Lesson learning objectives are chosen carefully and tasks are designed to meet with the intent. Within daily lessons students are assessed against their ability to meet with this intent. This may be done through teacher verbal or written assessment, peer assessment or self-assessment. Milestone pieces are identified within the planning stage and teachers will remotely mark these to determine if students are secure in the substantive knowledge the milestone assesses.

 ‘Flashback’ activities are also undertaken regularly throughout each unit of work to ensure that pupils are remembering key knowledge from the unit being taught, the unit from the previous half term and the foundational knowledge previously taught in a prior year group that links to the current science unit.

 Practical assessment

Practical assessment is undertaken using the PSTT assessment wheel, teachers highlight one area of focus within working scientifically for a practical assessment and the skills which underpin this. 

Science whole school overview

Science

Curriculum intent

“Science at Halfway Nursery Infant School excites, stimulates and incites awe in pupils regarding the world around them. Our approach to science fosters a positive attitude, confidence both inside and outside of the classroom, and a high level of engagement towards their learning. Pupils will make links between their scientific knowledge, the world around them, and other parts of the curriculum. Pupils will acquire scientific language and work on scientific skills. They are offered high quality learning opportunities where they can develop as scientists.”

Science at Halfway Nursery Infant School is designed to develop our pupil’s curiosity and ways of working to enable them to make sense of the world in which they live through investigation, as well as using and applying process skills. We believe that a broad balanced science education is the entitlement of all children, regardless of ethnic origin, gender, class, aptitude or disability. The aim of our science curriculum is to:

• As scientists we gain new knowledge, key facts and use scientific vocabulary.
• As scientists we ask questions, observe, predict and investigate.
• As scientists we will discuss, justify, reason and conclude.
• Science is practical and thought provoking.
• Science challenges us to think independently, challenge ideas and problem solve
•  Science learning is enhanced through visitors and trips.
• Science is linked to other subject areas such as mathematics and design technology and computing. 

Curriculum implementation

Through a well sequenced science curriculum pupils develop an understanding of the practices of science, pupils learn how scientific knowledge becomes established through scientific enquiry. By learning this, pupils appreciate the nature and status of scientific knowledge and understand that it is open to revision based on new scientific evidence. Curriculum objectives are taken as progressive steps from the PLAN document, which breaks down curriculum objectives into small steps for core fundamental areas. This document provides a progression of both substantive and disciplinary knowledge which children need to master in order to progress as scientific learners over the key stage.

Vocabulary is integral to the science curriculum at Halfway as it enables pupils to talk about the phenomena they are learning about. Core vocabulary pupils need to acquire has been identified using the PLAN documents.

Vocabulary is introduced in a sequential and progressive manner. New vocabulary is explicitly taught in context and opportunity to revisit prior vocabulary is built into teacher planning.

Impact

Curriculum assessment

Pre-assessments, developed by the Primary Science Teaching Trust, are used to identify pupils' starting points in any given content area within a year group.  Teachers use this pre-assessment to adapt and alter medium term plans if gaps in prior knowledge are needed to be plugged before progressing to the current year group substantive and disciplinary knowledge content.

Lesson learning objectives are chosen carefully and tasks are designed to meet with the intent. Within daily lessons students are assessed against their ability to meet with this intent. This may be done through teacher verbal or written assessment, peer assessment or self-assessment. Milestone pieces are identified within the planning stage and teachers will remotely mark these to determine if students are secure in the substantive knowledge the milestone assesses.

 ‘Flashback’ activities are also undertaken regularly throughout each unit of work to ensure that pupils are remembering key knowledge from the unit being taught, the unit from the previous half term and the foundational knowledge previously taught in a prior year group that links to the current science unit.

 Practical assessment

Practical assessment is undertaken using the PSTT assessment wheel, teachers highlight one area of focus within working scientifically for a practical assessment and the skills which underpin this. 

Science whole school overview