Statement of Intent: Science

At the Sherwood, all science is embedded within the curriculum from the Early Years and throughout each year group. We have developed the syllabus to include a wide range of topics that inspire children. We believe this encourages them to question scientific hypotheses and nurtures their natural curiosity about the world around them. As a UNICEF Rights Respecting School, we actively encourage children to consider the role of science in modern life; including the effects of pollution on the environment, interdependence and fair trade to name a few.

Article 29

Your education should help you learn to live peacefully, protect the environment and respect other people.

Elements of science are taught through a range of activities, for example guided reading; weekly spelling tests; biographical texts based on the lives of renowned scientists; data recording and analysis in maths to name a few. Global Goals are included within our teaching and learning across the broader curriculum to enable children to learn about issues affecting the environment.

Our Implementation

Article 28

You have the right to a good quality education. You should be encouraged to go to school to the highest level you can.

We follow an enquiry-based approach to the teaching and learning of science, planning regular practical science investigations, to engage and enthuse pupils and to develop the acquisition of scientific enquiry skills. We follow the National Curriculum programmes of study in Key Stages 1 and 2, using a range of resources from different schemes of work to ensure full coverage.

Pupils develop scientific skills in chemistry, biology and physics and apply these to concepts within practical activities carried out in class. Such knowledge will be taken forward with them into secondary school and beyond. Pupils develop a deep understanding of what it means to work scientifically, analyse data recorded during practical experiences/experiments and communicate this through book work, tables, bar charts, line graphs and technology.

Teachers have deep subject knowledge of the topics taught and practical lessons ensure that all pupils are engaged and have an opportunity to apply the scientific knowledge gained within the current topic. All lessons provide additional challenges for greater depth and understanding.

Key scientific vocabulary relating to the children’s topic is embedded into planning and lessons and children are actively encouraged to use them in their spoken language and spell them correctly in their written work.  This vocabulary has been carefully selected and allows for progression right across the school.

We are proud that at The Sherwood we strive for pupils to have a shared passion and enjoyment for science. Across the course of the year, each class will have access to a workshop/educational visit in order to increase their understanding of science all around them and to inspire them in understanding possible career choices within science and engineering. Furthermore, we promote science through Science Week and extra- curricular clubs.

Our Curriculum

Early Years and Foundation:

• Understanding the world
• People and communities
• The world
• Technology
• Health and self-care
• The environment (make observations of animals and plants)

Topics covered within KS1 are:

• Animals, including humans (naming animals and body parts – health and growth)
• Living things in their habitats (suitable habitats/simple food chains)
• Plants (names and structure of plants – conditions for growing)
• Every day materials, uses of every day materials
• Seasonal changes

Topics covered within Lower KS2 are:

• Livings things in their habitats (grouping and simple classifying/changes to habitats can pose dangers)
• Plants (functions of parts and lifecycles)
• Animals, including humans (skeletons – teeth, eating and digestion)
• Rocks
• States of matter
• Light
• Sound
• Forces and Magnets
• Electricity

Topics covered within Upper KS2 are:

• Living things and their habitats (lifecycles – classifying including micro-organisms)
• Animals, including humans (changes in humans as they grow – health and circulation)
• Properties and changes of materials
• Light
• Evolution and Inheritance

Measuring Impact

Progress and attainment are monitored using the Merton Assessment System, following the completion of each unit of study in order that next steps can be carefully adapted and planned to meet the needs of all children.