Science at Park

At Park, we have designed our science curriculum to:

• Meet the requirements of the National Curriculum and Early Years Framework

• Be rich in knowledge that is meaningfully connected to what children already know

• Build a strong understanding of big ideas such as cause and consequence over their time at Park

• Develop empathetic citizens of now and the future, equipped and empowered to make a difference in an ever-changing world

• Introduce children diverse scientists who have shaped our understanding of the world

• Develop the skills of working scientifically to make their own discoveries

To achieve these aims, our subject leader has planned what will be taught in each year group and set this out in the long-term plan you can find on this page below.

Our science subject leader has selected these units of work to meet the requirements of the National Curriculum and to progressively return to scientific ideas, broadening and deepening children’s understanding each time. This is mapped out in documents like the Progression Map you can find further down this page.

Our science subject leader sets out the specific knowledge and vocabulary to be learned and the sequence of learning in our medium-term plans. Our science medium term plans also include common misconceptions children can have about scientific ideas so that teachers can be prepared to correct these. An example of our medium-term planning is shown below.

Your child’s class teacher plans the science lessons from this document, considering how the lesson can be adapted for individual pupil needs so that all children are able to access the same content.  We teach our lessons in interactive ways, encouraging children to investigate ideas for themselves as much as possible, learning important skills of working scientifically along the way We also make use of educational visits to enhance children’s understanding and develop their cultural capital.

To be sure that our curriculum is working for your child, we regularly check whether they have gained the knowledge set out in our science curriculum.  Within lessons, we set up short activities to check what they have understood and remembered.  Where children show they have not understood or remembered some key learning, we will make adaptations for them within the lesson and change our planning for future lessons to address this and help them remember more.

At the end of the unit, we check whether children have remembered all of the key learning for the unit.  We make a summary judgement as to whether they have met Park’s expectations and learned what we expect them to.  We will inform you of your child’s science attainment in their end of year report as well as regular chances to see what they have learned in school throughout the year.  We will also let their next teacher know, so that they can plan to meet your child’s needs in the next class.

Our science subject leader and senior leadership team regularly review the assessments made in science, look at your child’s books, talk to them about what they can remember and visit their lessons to check whether our curriculum is working to help your child master key scientific understanding.  We use this to reflect on what has been taught, how it has been taught and make further improvements to our curriculum.