_20230806170334183.jpg?width=640&height=480&scale=LIMIT_MAXSIZE "Newby Primary School photography - 12.06 (143 of 158)")
Construction of the Science Curriculum
At Newby Primary School we teach the ‘stuff’ of Science in a way that ensures children have a concrete understanding of ‘matter’ in Chemistry, Biology, Physics and Geology. As our intent statement suggests, Science is not about having the right answer but instead is about a set of processes and skills which allow us to better understand, question and reason with the world around us. Our science curriculum follows the national curriculum and is progressive throughout the school so that each topic and skill can be built upon one year after another. In each year group there are a variety of investigations which involve tangible experiences that teach the children a range of scientific enquiry skills. We have constructed our curriculum, not only for the children to have a breadth of knowledge, but to have the depth also. The science curriculum can be embedded into a termly topic but if the subject matter doesn’t link the lessons are to be taught discretely.
Ambition of our Curriculum
The ambition of the science curriculum is that we develop a passion for answering scientific enquiry and create awe and wonder through the experiences and investigations that are taught. With this wonder, we create curiosity within the children for them to want to question, explore and discover further. Children leave Newby feeling inspired and equipped with the skills, and knowledge necessary to follow their own natural curiosity, applying the scientific inquiry and reasoning skills they have learnt to other settings, challenges and experiences in their lives.
Our ambition is that children are excited by the endless possibilities the world still presents to us – the many unanswered, maybe even unasked, questions that would help us explore our world and the worlds beyond our own. Our hope is that lots of our children leave Newby with the enthusiasm and passion which sees them go on to work in the scientific field – finding a cure for the world’s diseases, inventing an environmentally friendly ‘plastic’ and potentially even discovering life beyond Mars!
Skills and Concepts
In Science, skills and knowledge are carefully planned and sequenced within and across year groups. Within a unit of work, learning follows a clear sequence to promote curiosity. First, children are encouraged to question - and think of questions - guided or supported, understanding there is no right or wrong. They are then invited to make observations. This then naturally leads the children into making group or independent hypotheses - a major skill needed to be a scientist. Once the children have hypothesised using all the information they have gathered or know from past learning, the children are given the opportunities, through hands-on experiences, to test out their ideas. Once the children have collected their data, they are guided in how to record and present this in a variety ways. They are encouraged to compare data and verify their findings. This leads to children having discussions about what they have found and using scientific knowledge and terminology to write conclusions. This structure grows in depth and detail as the children go through the school. As the children make their way through the school, the children gain more independence with this structure of scientific investigation. As they reach the final years of our school, they are expected and guided to design their own experiments and investigations.
