Science
What is our vision for science?
At The Growth Learning Collective, our science curriculum embodies the aims of the National Curriculum. Ensuring that all children:
- develop scientific knowledge and conceptual understanding through the specific disciplines of biology, chemistry and physics
- develop understanding of the nature, processes and methods of science through different types of science enquiries that help them to answer scientific questions about the world around them
- are equipped with the scientific knowledge required to understand the uses and implications of science, today and for the future
In our schools, science inspires children to engage, question and understand the world around them. Embedding key substantive learning through working scientifically (ensuring each new idea builds on children’s existing understanding and experiences) gives our children the confidence they need to interact with science as something that is all around us, and something that is for everyone. Utilising cross-curriculum links, opportunities around discreet lessons and educational visits, is a key component of developing our children’s Science and Cultural Capital; something we are wholeheartedly dedicated to due to the community we serve. From the moment children join our schools in Early Years, science learning promotes a growth mindset – giving our children the confidence to be curious, take risks and see failure as a crucial part of learning. We see science as an opportunity to prepare our children to be citizens of the world, and a key thread of environment throughout our curriculum instils a respect and care for Earth. In an ever-changing world, science gives our children the skills they need to be successful in the future.
What do science lessons look like in our school and how do we plan lessons?
Our curriculum is carefully sequenced so that children revisit and embed key learning before building on it. Units are ordered so that children have the essential prior knowledge they need to fully grasp new concepts - for example, in Year 5, children learn about forces and gravity before they learn about space, and in Year 4, children learn about states of matter before they learn about sound. Some units are spread across the year where appropriate (like when Year 1 look at the seasons) and some lessons are taught outside of their main unit if appropriate (eg. Year 2 plant bulbs in Autumn but learn about plants in Spring). The order of units and brief summary of each can be found on our curriculum maps.
In science lessons, children learn key facts/information (substantive knowledge) through working scientifically (disciplinary skills). They come up with investigation questions linked to the curriculum and plan, carry out and evaluate investigations to answer these questions with increasing independence. Wherever possible, we relate learning to the children's everyday lives (eg. when learning about soil, the children test which soils would make the best football pitch) and children carryout investigations practically in small groups or pairs.
In line with our teaching and learning policies, lesson begin with a recap of prior learning before breaking new learning into small, achievable steps. Children revisit learning multiple times over a unit so that they are able to commit it to their long-term memory.
What can you do to help your child at home?
Helping your child with Science at home is all about noticing and wondering about the world around you. When you’re in the kitchen, out on a walk or visiting new places, model thinking about what you can see and asking questions you’d like to find the answer to: ‘Have you looked at this plant? I notice that some of the flowers are beginning to turn into berries. I wonder how long it will be until they all become ripe blackberries. We could come back next week to see what’s changed’ You don’t have to know the answers to model the thinking skills that scientists use every day!