Long Term Plan for Science
Intent
Our curriculum is designed to:
- Develop fun, practical and engaging high-quality teaching that inspires children.
- Provide an enabling environment and encourage children to be confident in exploring and discovering the world around them.
- Allow children to make links between science investigations and real life.
- Show children that there are no limits to their ambition and explore different careers within science.
- Provide practical experiences that encourage curiosity and questioning.
- Help children secure and extend their scientific knowledge and vocabulary.
- Recognise a child’s prior learning, abilities and experiences — using a KWL grid at the start of every term to assess their understanding and needs.
- Provide stimulating and relevant first-hand experiences — first-hand observations and investigations in every unit.
- Enable children to apply skills and knowledge in meaningful contexts — relating units to everyday life (e.g. healthy lifestyles, teeth health, impact of science in the world).
- Develop interpersonal skills — introduction and use of correct vocabulary, collaborative work.
- Build resilience, collaboration and perseverance — encouraging children in KS2 to plan their own investigative work.
- Support resourceful and reflective learners — child-led learning using KWL grids and topic-led homework encouraging independent learning at home.
Many of the subject drivers for the topics are science-led, enabling children to see science in meaningful contexts and providing stimulating experiences.
Each child is unique and we value and celebrate differences within school and the wider community. We pride ourselves in knowing and catering for a child’s individual needs from academic to wellbeing support.
Our enhancement opportunities ensure children become curious and enquiring learners, develop new interests, support a caring and respectful attitude towards others, and become responsible for their own learning and attitudes. We aim to widen children’s aspirations beyond their locality and nurture talents through strong family partnerships.
This is underpinned by high-quality, rigorous teaching of basic skills, knowledge, concepts and values. We aspire for children to leave St Helen Auckland Primary as confident, respectful and tolerant individuals who know themselves well, have the courage to try new challenges, and are inspired to aim high on their life path.
Implementation
In developing our curriculum, we have the following drivers at its heart:
Long Term Plan
Impact
- Children enjoy and are enthusiastic about science.
- Children confidently use and explain scientific vocabulary.
- Children ask questions and reflect on their science learning.
- Clear progression of children’s work and teacher expectations.
- Children become increasingly independent in science and complete pupil-led investigations.
- Children complete pre-assessments (KWL) to ensure misconceptions are addressed.
- Children complete post-assessment questions to assess their learning progress.