Science

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Science At Fox Hill

Intent

At Fox Hill, we encourage our pupils to be curious and to have a desire for finding out why things happen in the way they do.  We aim to inspire our children to be aspirational for their future and our science curriculum is designed to develop future scientists, chemists and physicists. Through our Science lessons, children are inspired to ask scientific questions and to investigate ways to answer those questions.  They begin to appreciate the way in which science will affect the future on a personal, national and global scale.

Our curriculum follows the National Curriculum Science National Curriculum Programmes of Study for KS1 and KS2 and we use Developing Experts to deliver our lessons.

At Fox Hill Primary School:

• All staff use careful planning, sequencing and teaching of the Science curriculum to encourage a child’s natural curiosity for the world around them.
• We encourage children to be curious, asking questions and develop the confidence and self-belief required to answer these questions through an enquiry based approach.
• Where possible, Science lessons are linked to our existing topics throughout the year in addition to enrichment opportunities provided to enhance learning that takes place.
• By the end of each Key Stage, we expect children to have met the objectives set out in the National Curriculum. A progression of scientific knowledge and skills is taught throughout a child’s time at Fox Hill, preparing them for the next step in their education.

Implementation 

Science at Fox Hill is taught through practical lessons wherever possible, developing the skills of working scientifically and enquiry-based learning, supported by subject specific knowledge and vocabulary, all of which become increasingly challenging as pupil progress through the school.  We also celebrate National Science Week every year, with a whole-school program of Science assemblies and activities - the children become immersed in Science for the week and have responded with undeniable enthusiasm to the experiments we have carried out.

What might you typically see?

• All children will develop scientific knowledge and conceptual understanding through a balance of practical activities and knowledge-based lessons. The concepts required will be taught in small steps as detailed in progression maps.
• All children will develop an understanding of the nature, processes and methods of Science through the five different types of enquiries (research using secondary sources; observation over time; pattern seeking; identifying, classifying and grouping; and comparative and fair testing) that help them answer scientific questions about the world around them.
• Teachers plan and deliver lessons to ensure that children are equipped with scientific knowledge and skills required to understand the uses and implication of Science today and for the future.
• Enrichment opportunities (whole school Science Week, educational visits, participation in national competitions and also visitors) help to develop children’s Science capital and aim to offer aspirational experiences.

Impact

• All ideas are valued and children are encouraged to use skills such as predicting and reasoning to help deepen their scientific understanding.
• Children have confidence and competence in the full range of practical skills.
• Scientific vocabulary is confidently used by all.
• Children can make links to topics and real-life encounters with hands-on experiments, including taking informed risks.
• We aspire for all children to achieve well, produce good quality work (including verbal explanations, solving challenging problems and reporting scientific findings) and be ready for the next stage in their education.
• Impact can be seen in high levels of engagement from the children during lessons, progress in books and pupil voice. 

Take a look at all of our hands on learning!  Photos can be found by following our Twitter link at the top of this page. 

Subject Leader: Mrs Filisetti

As Science lead at Fox Hill, my role is to lead, develop and support Science across the school, to ensure all teachers have the subject knowledge, skills and confidence to deliver interesting and challenging lessons. This high quality teaching enables children to experience invaluable science opportunities. 

I feel it is essential that children understand the relevance of science to the wider world and their own experiences. Where possible, Science is linked to other curriculum areas to demonstrate links across the subject areas but still retaining its importance as a core subject.

Early Years Foundation Stage

We teach Science in EYFS as an integral part of the topic work covered during the year. Ongoing scientific experiences and opportunities are planned from the objectives set out in the Early Years Framework, which underpin the curriculum planning for children age 3 - 5. Our science curriculum ensures the children develop early scientific ideas and processes through hands on activities, practical exploration and outdoor experiences.

The Natural World Early Learning Goal:

Children at the expected level of development will:

• Explore the natural world around them, making observations and drawing pictures of animals and plants;

• Know some similarities and differences between the natural world around them and contrasting environments, drawing on their experiences and what has been read in class;

• Understand some important processes and changes in the natural world around them, including the seasons and changing states of matter.