Science

Intent

At the Pegasus Academy Trust, the Science curriculum is designed to recognise and promote science as a core subject.   Our intent is to ensure that EVERY child receives a broad and balanced curriculum allowing them to confidently explore, discover, and understand the world around them.

At the very heart of our bespoke curriculum, our children learn through fun, practical, and engaging lessons. The quality first teaching provided by staff encourages the children to question, discuss, explore, and discover for themselves as much as possible. Lessons are created to inspire curiosity and a life-long love of learning.

The curriculum itself is designed to maximise and accommodate progression in knowledge and understanding in scientific skills as children progress through their primary science journey.  From Nursery to Year 6, the curriculum builds upon the children’s pre-existing and acquired knowledge to develop and extend their understanding of each different subject area before moving on to the next.

By the time a child completes their science journey and leaves the Pegasus Academy Trust, our intention is for them to have acquired the following core skills:

  • Understanding scientific terminology;
  • Knowledge of the programmes of study taught;
  • The ability to question;
  • Design an investigation to answer a question;
  • To be able to carry out an investigation;
  • Analyse results;
  • Discuss secondary readings;
  • Continue to ask questions and be curious

Implementation

To be successful with our intentions outlined above, the following has been implemented across the Pegasus Academy Trust:

  • Establishing existing knowledge: each year group builds upon the learning acquired in the previous year, and at the start of each topic a ‘What I know’ lesson is implemented. Not only does this allow children to start a topic confidently, before developing and deepening their existing knowledge, it also allows teachers to identify and address any gaps or misconceptions. This progressive curriculum is adhered to in each year group, which ensures the children further their understanding and progression of skills.
  • Progression of scientific skills: alongside our ‘Working as a Scientist’ skills progression document, clear year-group skills are also outlined in bespoke investigation sheets. These are deigned to consolidate and build upon a child’s knowledge. All teachers receive INSET training on how to implement these skills in their year groups.
  • Understanding of scientific vocabulary: the Freyer Model is employed for teaching scientific vocabulary, which allows children to understand the word fully and contextually. A glossary of these words is kept and referred to, throughout the year, for revision purposes.
  • Ensuring that EVERY child accesses the curriculum: the curriculum can be adapted to match all pupil’s needs. Individual year groups plan to suit the needs of their children including resourcing materials and using support.
  • Delivering fun, practical, and engaging lessons: where possible, lessons are built around real life opportunities. Children are encouraged to discuss and seek out questions for themselves before using their scientific skills to answer them.  Alongside these practical lessons, every year group has at least one educational science visit per year, which enriches and enhances the children’s learning experiences. A ‘Science Week’ within the Trust occurs every 2-3 years and is designed to promote and maintain the profile of science. Children are given a theme and a box of resources and are free to explore a topic for the whole week.
  • Providing regular CPD and INSET training for teachers: ensuring that teachers within the Trust receive regular development means that the lessons provided are of the highest quality. CPD from within the Trust and via The Royal Institute has ensured all teachers within the Pegasus Academy Trust have gained confidence in their own teaching of Science.
  • Recognising cross-curricular links: Science is not a stand-alone subject but instead permeates into many other areas such as maths, computing and PSHE. Crossover lessons are great opportunities for situating science in the wider world.
  • Continuous assessment and review: To ensure that the curriculum is being delivered effectively, and teachers are successfully implementing it, regular ‘Book Looks’ and pupil interviews are conducted within the Trust by a highly knowledgeable ‘Science team’. Any issues or misconceptions are discussed, and action plans are created and agreed to resolve any issues. Individual teachers use a standardised assessment form to monitor and record their assessments of their own pupil’s knowledge of the subject areas. End of unit quizzes are employed as a fun and engaging way to recap learning, while also providing a useful additional assessment tool for teachers.

Impact

The impact of this curriculum will not only be acquired, age-related knowledge and skills linked to the National Curriculum science programme of study but also the creation of enthusiastic science learners who have a secure platform of knowledge and understanding from which to continue developing their science learning beyond the primary setting and into the workplace.

Having spoken with pupils from each year group it is clear that the new practical based science curriculum is having a positive effect on the children.  They are enjoying the lessons and as a result their learning is progressing very well.

First published on 31st May, 2017 and modified 27th February, 2023

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