Bailey’s Court Primary’s Science curriculum aims to develop a sense of excitement and curiosity about natural phenomena and an understanding of how the scientific community contributes to the past, present and future. The curriculum aims for pupils to develop a complex knowledge of biology, chemistry and physics but also adopt a broad range of skills in working scientifically and beyond. The scheme of work is inclusive and meaningful so all pupils may experience the joy of science and make associations between their science learning and their lives outside the classroom. Studying science allows pupils to appreciate how new knowledge and skills can be fundamental to solving arising global challenges. The curriculum aims to encourage critical thinking and empower pupils to question the how’s and whys of the world around them.
The scheme encourages:
A strong focus on developing knowledge alongside scientific skills across biology, chemistry and physics.
Curiosity and excitement about familiar and unknown observations.
Challenging misconceptions and demystifying truths.
Continuous progression by building on practical and investigative skills across all units.
Critical thinking, with the ability to ask perceptive questions and explain and
analyse evidence.
Development of scientific literacy using wide-ranging, specialist vocabulary.
Our scheme of work supports pupils in meeting the Early Learning Goals for Understanding the world (The Natural world) and the end of key stage attainment targets set out in the National curriculum.
Bailey’s Court Primary school have identified the following key strands in the Science curriculum:
Scientific knowledge and understanding of:
biology: living organisms and vital processes;
chemistry: matter and its properties;
physics: how the world we live in works:
Working scientifically: processes and methods of science to answer questions about the world around us.
Science in action: uses and implications of science in the past, present and for the future.
Bailey’s Court Primary’s Science scheme is a spiral curriculum, with essential knowledge and skills revisited with increasing complexity, allowing pupils to revise and build on their previous learning. A range of engaging recall activities promotes frequent pupil reflection on prior learning, ensuring new learning is approached with confidence. The Science in action strand is interwoven throughout the scheme to make the concepts and skills relevant to pupils and inspiring for future application. Cross-curricular links are included throughout each unit, allowing pupils to make connections and apply their science skills to other areas of learning.
Each unit is based on one of the key science disciplines: biology, chemistry and physics. The National curriculum content has been grouped into six key areas of science to show progression throughout the school:
Plants.
Animals, including humans.
Living things and habitats.
Materials.
Energy.
Forces, Earth and space.
Pupils explore knowledge and conceptual understanding through engaging activities and an introduction to relevant, specialist vocabulary. As suggested in Ofsted research review: science (April 2021), the Working scientifically skills are integrated with conceptual understanding rather than taught discretely to provide frequent but relevant opportunities for developing scientific enquiry skills. The scheme utilises practical activities that aid in the progression of individual skills and provide opportunities for full investigations.
In EYFS (Reception), pupils build a solid foundation for science before transitioning to Key stage 1. Through hands-on exploration and focused observations, lessons spark curiosity and foster an early appreciation for the natural environment, paving the way for more structured scientific learning in Key stage 1.
Each year group has an optional exploratory unit called ‘making connections’ that delves beyond the statutory curriculum. This unit assimilates prior knowledge and skills to evoke excitement and provide an additional method of assessing scientific attainment.
Lessons incorporate various teaching strategies, from independent tasks to paired and
group work, including practical, creative, computer-based and collaborative tasks. This variety means that lessons are engaging and appeal to those with different learning styles. In Year 1, the transition into the Key stage is eased by providing a selection of activities: some adult-led, some independent tasks and some that can be used during continuous provision to suit your set-up.
Guidance for adapting the learning is available for every lesson to ensure that all pupils can access it and opportunities to stretch their learning are available when required. Knowledge organisers for each unit help to identify key learning and vocabulary and can be useful as an adaptive teaching tool or to revise learning from the unit.
Strong subject knowledge is vital for staff to deliver a highly effective and robust science curriculum. Each unit of lessons includes teacher videos and resources to develop subject knowledge, target fundamental misconceptions effectively and support ongoing CPD. Our scheme has been created to build confidence amongst non-specialist primary teachers who are required to deliver and assess the full science curriculum and maximise pupil progression. Videos created by subject specialists feature troubleshooting advice for practical work that does not go to plan, suggested questioning and support for tackling misconceptions and recordings of practical tasks that can be utilised as demonstrations in the classroom or to support pupil reflection on their own observations.
