Intent

At Shawfield we believe that the science curriculum should inspire children; encourage them to be inquisitive about the world; nurture their innate curiosity and enable them to develop a range of skills that are useful across their learning both now and in their future lives. Having an understanding of science allows people to make informed decisions about new technologies, their health and other important matters. We believe inspiring science teaching arises from lessons that place scientific enquiry at the heart of the science curriculum. It develops both scientific knowledge and conceptual understanding to a level where they can be used to understand the uses and implications of science, today and for the future.

Implementation

As a school we follow the National Curriculum for science which is supplemented by our Science at Shawfield Primary document, Switched on Science scheme of work and Hamilton Trust science. 

Science is taught as a discrete subject to ensure complete coverage of the national curriculum skills but there are cross-curricular links made to other subjects where appropriate.

Lessons teach children to use scientific vocabulary, develop their scientific understanding, build on previous scientific knowledge and investigate real life problems.  Pupils are introduced to the PODME  models to record investigations.

Impact

Children enjoy science lessons and are able to talk about their learning.  Books show a progression in skills and coverage of topics.  Teachers are using Can I statements as a prompt for each lesson.  More evidence is needed of children using PODME for investigations.