At Hazel Leys our science curriculum aims to ignite children’s love for science by showing them what fascinating things the human race has learned about the world. 

Within our carefully planned curriculum, children are introduced to including the inner workings of the human body, animals and the environments they live in, plants and their features, forces of nature, what lies beyond the visible world. Children are taught to apply their knowledge and conduct their own scientific enquiries to answer questions, working scientifically to develop essential skills in science. 

Our science curriculum builds knowledge incrementally year on year to revisit and build upon children’s knowledge and understanding of key concepts. Pupils also study the lives and achievements of a diverse range of scientists including Lewis Howard Latimer, Thomas Edison, Jabir ibn Hayyan. Their disciplinary knowledge will flourish over time enabling them to see the importance of science as a subject and how it translates into the world of research and work, what scientists do and how they impact upon our lives. 

 

 Intent:

At Hazel Leys Academy, children come first and our intent is to deliver high quality teaching and learning that is knowledge-rich, well sequenced and taught to be remembered, whilst at the same time providing rich and truly enjoyable learning experiences for our community of children.

Everything we do as a school is to ensure that the children achieve their very best, and that they are socially and emotionally ready for academic success.

We are deeply aware that children only get one chance at their primary education and it is our job to ensure that they all reach for the highest levels of personal achievement and development. The vision of the curriculum at Hazel Leys Academy is to give all pupils the knowledge and skills they need to succeed in life.

Our intent is to create a thirst for learning, through first hand experiences and stimulating hooks, that broaden horizons and pushes expected boundaries. Children will leave Hazel Leys Academy successful, with a love of learning that remains with them for their next phase in education. The intent of our Science curriculum is to deliver a curriculum which is accessible to all and that will maximise the outcomes for every child so that they know more, remember more and understand more. As a result of this they will:

•  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
• be equipped with the scientific knowledge required to understand the uses and implications of Science, today and for the future
• develop an enthusiasm and enjoyment of scientific learning and discovery

 

 

Implementation:

Science Working Walls throughout school focus on key knowledge, vocabulary and questions and exemplify the terminology used throughout the teaching of science in school and other aspects of life including recent scientific discoveries and experiments. Subject specific vocabulary is identified through knowledge organisers, the vocabulary progression document and working wall, and highlighted to the children at the beginning of lessons and revisited through assessments.

Children are given a secure grounding in the prime areas of learning, ensuring they have a good foundation on which to build through the specific areas, including understanding the world. Areas of provision are enhanced to ensure vocabulary understanding and extension, and develop understanding of themselves and the world around them.

Children will have constant access to a wide variety of subject specific fiction and non-fiction books, available as part of science displays to relate to the different topic areas as well as online resources to support and engage.

We aim for children to recognise that bias can exist in science experiments particularly those conducted without thinking about variables. Children will be expected to recognise and comment on the validity of their tests and some will be able to explain why a fair test is important.

Assessments are completed at the end of each teaching unit. Teachers use this data alongside their formative assessments and complete teacher assessments on the whole school data tracker three times per academic year.

We recognise that children learn in a variety of ways, and so where appropriate, children will learn science outside the classroom.

A wide variety of teaching approaches are used in science lessons to ensure children make good progress, regardless of their backgrounds, and all learning styles are catered for. Class teachers ensure there is a good balance of whole class, group work, as well as time for children to express ideas individually.

As ‘scientists’ children will learn lessons from science to influence the decisions they make in their lives in the future. Science curriculum science lessons will follow a clear and consistent teaching sequence, including putting the learning in the context of the topic and current time. An emphasis on past and future learning to reconnect with old topics, embed current learning and set up new learning. Specifying new key vocab and using it throughout the learning. Correct modelling of using specific science equipment to not only ensure safety, but also to ensure experiments are carried out properly with children able to recognise and control certain variables.

The learning environment is designed to ensure children develop their science knowledge, and continue to know more and remember more. Knowledge walls and practical engaging experiments are key drivers to this, with teachers making reference to them during lessons and at other regular times during the term, including plenaries and starters.

Each class may use a termly homework project to undertake a research project focusing on their current science topic. This will support independent learning as well as allowing children to improve their working scientifically skills.

English, Maths and ICT skills are taught during discrete lessons but are revisited in science so children can apply and embed the skills they have learnt in a purposeful context. Each class will attempt to take part in a yearly science visit focusing on one of the topics they have covered in that year. We will also use outside resources to come into school and connect the pupils with science in a different context to school.

 

Impact:

Children will understand the relevance of what they have learnt in science in relation to the world around them. Children will have an enjoyment of science and will be able to discuss what they have learnt and how they have gone about their learning with confidence. Progress will be clearly seen through looking at children’s books as well as through positive data increases using the school’s data tracker.

The large majority of children will achieve age related expectations in Science.

As scientists’ children will learn lessons from science to influence the decisions they make in their lives in the future.