Subject Leader: Mrs C Beresford
What are our aims in Science?
We want to create a school community full of confident, thoughtful and independent scientists. Through engaging, hands-on experiences, we strive to empower every child to embrace the role of a scientist, equipped with the skills and mindset needed to tackle the challenges of tomorrow.
In Science pupils will have the opportunity to:
• Ask simple questions and recognise that they can be answered in different ways• Make observations and take measurements• Engage in practical enquiry to answer questions• Record and present evidence• Answer questions and draw conclusions• Evaluate and raise further questions and predictions• Communicate their findings.
How is the subject taught?
We follow the ‘Kapow Primary’ scheme for science. 
Knowledge and skills developed
- Scientific knowledge and understanding: observing, studying and explaining the physical world.
- Working scientifically: using different methods of scientific enquiry to understand the world around us.
- Science in action: how science can be used and its impact on our day-to-day lives.
Kapows’ approach
- Authored by primary science specialists to provide full National curriculum coverage
- Integrated CPD within each lesson plan to support non-specialists at the point of delivery
- Teacher CPD videos to develop subject knowledge and assist with experiments and investigations
- Pupil videos demonstrating skills and methodologies
- Progression of skills and knowledge through our spiral curriculum structure
- Knowledge organisers and assessment materials for each unit
- Curriculum planning and subject leader documents and resources
- Developing and building the skills to think and work scientifically
Intent
Kapow Primary Science curriculum aims to develop a sense of excitement and curiosity about natural
phenomena and an understanding of how the scientific community contributes to our past, present and
future.
Kapows’ scheme encourages:
● A strong focus on developing knowledge alongside scientific skills across Biology, Chemistry and
Physics.
● Curiosity and excitement about familiar and unknown observations.
● Challenging misconceptions and demystifying truths.
● Continuous progression by building on practical and investigative skills across all units.
● Critical thinking, with the ability to ask perceptive questions and explain and
analyse evidence.
● Development of scientific literacy using wide-ranging, specialist vocabulary.
Kapow Primary Science scheme of work enables pupils to meet the end of key stage attainment targets
in the national curriculum and the aims also align with those set out in the national curriculum.
Implementation
In order to meet the aims of the National curriculum for Science and in response to the Ofsted Research
review into Science, we have identified the following key strands:
● Scientific knowledge and understanding of:
○ Biology – living organisms and vital processes.
○ Chemistry – matter and its properties.
○ Physics – how the world we live in ‘works’
.
● Working scientifically – processes and methods of science to answer questions about the world
around us.
● Science in action – uses and implications of science in the past, present and for the future.
Teaching Science in EYFS
In Science EYFS pupils will have the opportunity to:
- Show curiosity and ask questions
- Make observations and use their senses and simple equipment
- Make direct comparisons
- Use equipment to measure
- Record their observations by drawing, taking photographs, using sorting rings or boxes, and, in Reception simple tick sheets
- Use their observations to help them answer their questions
- Talk about what they are doing and have found out
- Identify, sort and group
In EYFS, it is our role to provide meaningful opportunities for children to learn, practise and apply skills in a range of contexts. This includes returning to concepts regularly to build on knowledge, skills and understanding in order to develop a deep understanding. We encourage children to make links in their learning across all areas of the curriculum, so that they are able to draw on the necessary skills to solve new problems. In order to succeed, we believe children need to learn to take risks and learn from their mistakes.
Our scientific learning in EYFS builds on children’s prior experiences and backgrounds and provides access to science experiences for all. It utilises children’s natural curiosity and encourages children to pursue their own questions and develop their own ideas. Through effective interactions with supportive adults, it engages children in in-depth exploration of a topic over time in a carefully prepared environment with support and challenge. It is embedded in children’s play and integrated with other areas of learning. Through revisiting key concepts, knowledge and vocabulary over the year, children are able to reflect on, represent and document their experiences as well as share and discuss their ideas with others. In this way, children are prepared for the National Curriculum requirements for Year 1.
How do we know that our children are making progress?
Ongoing assessments of the children’s knowledge and skills is observed by the class teacher. Misconceptions are addressed and next steps are carefully planned. Every lesson begins with a ‘Flashback’, which consists of four questions in total. One each regarding the prior year, the prior subject, the prior week, and a vocabulary question. By activating prior knowledge and revisiting theme previously covered helps children to commit facts into their long-term memory. The assessment is then used by teachers to determine if each child has “met” or “has not met” the science objectives. This is used to plan appropriate next steps for their future learning, as well as provide an overview of learning within a subject area across the whole school.