Science
We shine brightly in Science because our pupils are inspired. We harness their natural curiosity and foster a sense of awe in the world around us. At South Wellfield First School, we want ALL our pupils to be critical thinkers and to see themselves as scientists. We want our pupils to understand the world and be driven to make it better.
The world-changing scientists of tomorrow, are in our classrooms today!
In our school, from Early Years through to Year 4, Science is all about pupils asking questions and investigating to find the answers and then communicating and reflecting on what they find out. We develop our pupils as scientists by leading them to discover new knowledge and facts (substantive knowledge) as well as developing scientific skills (disciplinary knowledge) through the five enquiry types.
By teaching and modelling specific scientific language and terminology, we enable children to articulately communicate their understanding and ideas. We have a bespoke, progressive curriculum, designed for our children in our locality. The content is meaningful, relevant and engaging. Local museums, parks, nature reserves, businesses, universities, scientists and national events are utilised to further enrich our exciting curriculum.
Using current educational research, we use effective strategies and pedagogy to optimise lesson outcomes for ALL our pupils. We have devised a lesson format to create deep and memorable learning -this ensures children will be ready for the next steps. Science lessons are always memorable, always active and also great fun!
- Retrieval of prior learning is a critical element of every lesson. By continuously ‘looking back’ on previous learning we make sure that good learning isn’t lost over time, and that misconceptions are addressed. Practising what they know and what they can do, is essential to pupils’ success.
- Creative ‘hooks’ give science lessons a purpose within a ‘real world’ context. We ensure children have an intrinsic motivation to find out and to discover answers for themselves. To be successful in these endeavours, pupils are explicitly taught the meaning of scientific vocabulary and strategically taught scientific skills. Across school we cover five main forms of enquiry and develop children’s understanding of the three main disciplines: biology, chemistry and physics.
- Raising pupils’ future aspirations is our fundamental passion. To that end, every lesson features a “Connecting to the World” section. In this phase of the lesson, pupils learn from and hear about people who work in the field of science; their young minds are opened to a world of fascinating careers and interests! They are also given regular insight into “Science in the News”. To do this, we use intriguing and thought-provoking news articles and video clips. Often, we end up with even more questions than we started with- and here lies the source of our next generation scientists!
“Education is not the learning of facts, but the training of the mind to think!” Albert Einstein
Working scientifically is an essential part of the science curriculum and is embedded within the subject content so that the children learn to use a variety of approaches to answer relevant scientific questions. These types of scientific enquiry include:
| Well-nurtured |
|
||||||||||||||||
| Well - rounded |
|
||||||||||||||||
|
Well - equipped
|
|
||||||||||||||||
| Well - read |
Well-chosen and high-quality texts support our curriculum. A range of identified texts are utilised to inspire enquiry-based learning opportunities. Our older pupils have access to written newspaper/magazine articles. Our well-stocked school library and class libraries have non -fiction books linked to the curriculum – these are used for children to read for pleasure and to use for research purposes. We seek opportunities to meet authors (such as Lauren Davies), to share the ecological message behind their stories. Children explore scientific themes though the stories, songs, poems, drama, dance and art. |
||||||||||||||||
| Well - connected | We want to maximise pupils’ Science Capital. As an analogy, Science Capital is like a bag that is carried throughout life, containing all their science-related knowledge, attitudes, experiences and contacts. SWFS want to fill that bag! Research evidence shows that the more Science Capital a young person has, the more likely s/he is to aspire to continue with science post-16 and to see themselves as having a science identity. To this end we regularly “connect to the world”. For example, watching news reports, exploring world issues, visitors, trips, exploring the local area and making connections to children’s experiences outside of school. Our broad curriculum and rich reading provision strengthen these connections further. |
To find out more about our science curriculum and what we have to offer please click on the images below.
