Intent

Foremost at Backwell Junior School, we aim to develop an enthusiasm for science and a questioning approach that allows children to have a greater understanding, appreciation and sense of wonder for the world around them. We aim to achieve this through the acquiring of substantive and disciplinary knowledge to help them to think scientifically, to gain an understanding of scientific processes and an understanding of the uses and implications of Science, today and for the future. 

We want our children to be inquisitive about the World: to ask questions and to begin to reason why things happen so whilst acquiring knowledge is important, we also highly value the teaching of scientific skills and different enquiry types that are embedded in each unit of Science. Through the modelling and teaching of disciplinary knowledge, we aim to equip our children to be able to answer their own scientific enquires and to reflect on what they have found out.  Our aim is to give children scientific knowledge that they can apply to different situations and to make them life-long learners with an enthusiasm for Science.

Implementation

Science is taught weekly as a discrete subject where  we enable all children to access our curriculum and not be limited by their attainment in other subjects by the use of differentiated resource materials and activities that reflect our ‘Learning Without Limits’ school approach.  We offer a variety of learning approaches which balance  the teaching of the disciplinary and substantive knowledge as set out in the National curriculum for Science.  Within our planning, substantive and disciplinary knowledge alongside enquiry types are threaded throughout to ensure that children have opportunities to embed and demonstrate their knowledge.  Retrieval practises are a core aspect of our Science curriculum delivery and children are given opportunities to reflect on their prior knowledge and understanding.  Our Science curriculum offers great opportunities for the enriching of children's cultural capital by introducing children to key scientists and finding out about key inventions and developments linked to their field of learning. . Within every classroom we have clear question driven learning sequences displayed alongside key vocabulary which are further supported by the use of Knowledge organisers to ensure children can reference back if required and make links to previous and future learning. 

To build upon children’s natural enthusiasm and curiosity, we have a Science ambassador program where children take the lead in presenting and developing their own science interests and learning with the wider schools. Our children also have the opportunity to share their thoughts and ideas about our curriculum and teaching of Science through regular pupil conferences. Throughout British Science Week our ambassadors lead on a series of whole school investigations to get every buzzing about science!

Our Science curriculum is enriched further through Science themed visits and visitors to the school to prompt children's interest and understanding of the subject.  A treasure trove of Science books are available to promote Reading across the Curriculum through Science to inspire and inform our learners. 

Impact

At Backwell Junior School, children are engaged in and enthusiastic about their Science learning.  The children at our school can talk with confidence about their learning and develop their own understanding further through reflective questioning.  They are able to demonstrate not only their substantive knowledge but also their disciplinary knowledge of scientific enquiry skills through independent work and investigations.  To ensure we meet our aspiring targets for the teaching and learning of Science within our school, teacher’s complete termly assessment profiles to track and monitor progress and attainment alongside ongoing the formative judgements for each Science activity.