Science Curriculum
In Science at Woodnook, we aim to give all children a strong understanding of the world around them. They are provided with opportunities to understand how scientific ideas have developed over time and had an impact on our lives, today and for the future. They are encouraged to question the world around them and use a variety of approaches to find the answers. We follow the Early Years Foundation Stage Statutory Framework (2021) and the National Curriculum (2021) for Science, we aim for all children to meet the standards as out-lined for each stage below.
By the end of EYFS children should:
- Explore the natural world around them, make observations and draw, name and describe insects, animals and plants from both the local area and wider world.
- Know some similarities and differences between the natural world around them and contrasting environments, drawing on their experiences and what has been read in class.
- Understand some important processes and changes in the natural world around them, including the seasons and changing states of matter.
By the end of KS1 children should:
- Use simple scientific language to talk about / record what they have noticed, describe what has happened and what they have found out, with increasing accuracy.
- Use simple and appropriate secondary sources (such as books, photographs, videos and other technology) to find things out / find answers.
- Ask simple questions and recognising that they can be answered in different ways.
- Observe closely, using simple equipment and communicate with increasing accuracy.
- Perform simple tests.
- Identify and classify.
- Use their observations and ideas to suggest answers to questions. Make suggestions on a method for setting up a simple comparative test, with support.
- Gather and record data to help in answering questions.
- Measure using non-standard and simple standard measures (e.g. cm, time), with increasing accuracy.
- Make observations correctly and safely use equipment provided.
- Make decisions about how to complete a variety of tables/charts, with support or using frameworks.
- Begin to notice patterns in their data, with guidance.
- Give a simple, logical reason why something happened.
- Begin to discuss if the test was unfair.
By the end of KS2 children should:
- Use correct scientific knowledge and understanding and relevant scientific language to discuss their observations, explorations and to explain why something happened.
- Identify scientific evidence that has been used to support or refute ideas or arguments.
- Identify changes that have occurred over a very long period of time (evolution) and discuss how changes have had impact on the world.
- Research how scientific ideas have developed over time and had an impact on our lives.
- Compare and contrast things beyond their locality and discuss advantages/disadvantages, pros/cons of the similarities and differences.
- Recognise scientific questions that do not yet have definitive answers.
- Independently ask a variety of scientific questions, refine to make them testable and decide the type of enquiry needed to answer them.
- Plan different types of scientific enquiries to answer questions, including how to recognise and control variables where necessary.
- Decide on and take measurements, use a range of scientific equipment, with increasing accuracy and precision and take repeat readings when appropriate.
- Record data and results of increasing complexity using scientific diagrams and labels, classification keys, tables, scatter graphs, bar and line graphs.
- Report and present findings from enquiries, including conclusions, causal relationships and explanations of and degree of trust in results, in oral and written forms such as displays and other presentations.
- Identify patterns in results collected and describe them using the change and measure variables (causal relationships).
- Independently form a conclusion, which draws on the evidence from the test
- Use test results to make predictions to set up further comparative and fair tests.
- Describe how to improve planning to produce more reliable results
Along-side the statutory frameworks, we use our yearly overview, Lancashire’s Working Scientifically ladders and medium term plans to provide a clear sequence of learning, so that the children continuously build on prior knowledge and skills. Class curriculum maps demonstrate the progression of skills across classes and the school and aim to challenge children. This also allows the children to regularly revisit a variety of concepts. Teaching sequences are tailored to ensure skills from across the curriculum are applied and cross-curricular writing is embedded into the Science curriculum. We use the non-statutory Development Matters (2021)/Birth to 5 Matters (2021) and Lancashire KLIPs to support planning and assessment.
In EYFS, the concepts of Science are taught through Understanding the World and there are the opportunities for learning in Continuous Provision, both inside and outside. In Years One to Six, lessons are planned and taught with a working scientifically focus. These are a mixture of practical, written or investigative activities. As the children move through school, more responsibility is given to the children for planning their own investigations, linked to the working scientifically skills ladders for each age group. Science is taught weekly, the time allocation is dependent on the nature of the topic. Teachers follow the school’s Science policy to ensure consistency throughout school. We recognise that all children in all year groups have different scientific abilities, and therefore tailor our approach to the individual where necessary, matching activities to specific ability groups and using open investigations. This allows for a variety of responses and differentiated outcomes, to ensure that each child has the opportunity to optimise their full potential.
Scientific vocabulary is at the heart of Science at Woodnook. Key vocabulary, related to the current unit, will be taught, discussed, displayed and rehearsed within class so it can be used by children independently and with understanding at an age-appropriate level. Open-ended questioning is used effectively to enhance learning.
Please follow the link below to find:
Woodnook School Curriculum Map 2023 - 2024
Here are the winning entries for the This is Science Competition in April 2022.
This is Science Because Children Winners 2022 Website.pdf
