Science
We teach Science on the basis of two-year cycles.
In KS1, aspects of the curriculum covered include: animals including humans, living things and their habitats, everyday materials and their uses, seasonal changes and plants. These are delivered through a cross-curricular theme.
In KS2, the areas covered include: plants, animals including humans, living things and their habitats, electricity, sound and light, rocks, forces and magnets and states of matter.
Year 6 pupils have additional areas of learning, including: evolution and inheritance, earth and space.
We use a range of resources, productions and hands-on experience, as well as a variety of approaches to develop experimental and investigative skills, and the use of the correct language.
In years 5 and 6, we introduce the children to aspects of sex education.
Science Curriculum Statement
Intent - What do we want children to learn?
At Framlingham Sir Robert Hitcham’s it is our intention to provide a high-quality science education that inspires and encourages our pupils to be inquisitive about the world around them. We strive to deliver a science curriculum that nurtures their innate curiosity and enables them to develop a range of skills that are useful across their learning.
Our curriculum has science enquiry at its heart and as scientists, pupils at Sir Robert Hitcham’s work collaboratively to develop their research, investigating, evaluating, communication and critical thinking skills. We encourage curiosity about natural phenomena and encourage our pupils to ask questions about the world around them to further their conceptual understanding and scientific knowledge.
Children will be encouraged to understand how science can be used to explain what is occurring, predict how things will behave, and analyse causes. It will provide opportunities for the critical evaluation of evidence and rational explanation of scientific phenomena as well as an opportunity to apply their mathematical knowledge to their understanding of science, including collecting, presenting and analysing data. Children will be immersed in key scientific vocabulary, which supports in the acquisition of scientific knowledge and understanding.
We deliver a broad and balanced science curriculum which stimulates and maintains children’s natural curiosity. Where possible, real-life examples are used in lessons to give our children a deeper understanding of these concepts.
Implementation - How are we going to achieve our intent?
At Framlingham Sir Robert Hitcham’s we predominantly use Hamilton Trust resources for science planning. This scheme, which is adapted and refined by our staff to meet the needs of our students, provides full coverage of the National Curriculum, following the programmes of study for each year group carefully.
Hamilton’s Science scheme uses hands-on investigative science activities to promote a deep understanding of scientific concepts and help children develop effective methods of scientific enquiry. Science teaching at Sir Robert Hitcham’s is therefore progressive and continuous.
Our curriculum is centred upon the ‘big question’; this requires deep thinking, exploration, discussion, investigating and researching. The clear progression ensures that children are continually building on their prior learning as they systematically develop their understanding of key ideas and their scientific skills. Pupils have opportunities to ask their own questions and consider which types of scientific enquiry are likely to be the best way of answering them. Our pupils draw conclusions and use scientific vocabulary to discuss and present their findings in a range of different ways including; observing changes over time, noticing patterns, grouping and classifying things, carrying out simple comparative and fair tests and finding things out using secondary sources of information. They draw simple conclusions and use scientific language to talk and write about what they have found out.
Impact - What will it look like when we have achieved our intent?
The successful, collaborative approach to the teaching of science across our school results in an engaging, high-quality education that allows pupils to understand the world around them and encourages them to explore science further as they leave primary school.
Children at Framlingham Sir Robert Hitcham’s will:
- retain knowledge that is pertinent to science with a real-life context.
- be able to question ideas and reflect on knowledge.
- be able to articulate their understanding of scientific concepts and be able to reason scientifically using scientific vocabulary.
- analyse data and articulate evidenced conclusions.
- work collaboratively and practically to investigate and experiment.
- have an understanding of some of the major issues facing our planet and an appreciation of the importance of science to the wider community.
- achieve age related expectations in science at the end of their cohort year.
See our Science Posts on the Blog.
Other useful links:
Science Resources
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