Intent
At Park Spring Primary School, we inspire our pupils to develop a wide range of scientific enquiry and scientific knowledge skills through lessons provided by a team of budding science enthusiasts.
PSPS are guided by the National Curriculum (2014), whose aims are to develop children’s conceptual understanding of biology, chemistry and physics. We encourage children to recognise the importance of having the power of rational explanation, skills of prediction, observation, analyses, comparing, grouping and classifying and questioning.
Implementation
Science is taught weekly through discrete science lessons in Key Stage One and Two and as part of cross-curricular themes, when appropriate. The long term plan below shows which area of Science is taught and when.
SCIENCE Units of WorkWithin this long term plan we ensure that Biology, Chemistry and Physics elements are taught across the key stage.
Science LTP to show coverage and biology, physics and chemistry (1)We also ensure each year group is given knowledge of a scientist within that field.
Scientist LTPCurriculum at each phase
At Park Spring, Science starts in the Early years (EYFS) where children are taught to make sense of the world around them. Throughout the year children work towards meeting the following objectives below:
Science in EYFSTopics are repeated throughout a variety of years to show progression and for children to widen and deepen their knowledge.
LTP progression across year groups
Teachers plan engaging and challenging lessons using the resources provided by the Science leaders. These highlight key vocabulary, previous learning, key facts, scientific enquiry type and help the teachers to understand what resources are needed for the lesson. Science lessons provide opportunities for children to work scientifically, both in groups and independently, through pattern spotting, grouping and classifying, planning and performing comparative tests, observing over time and using secondary research to build on prior knowledge.
Here is an example of a MTP lozenge showing the sequence of lessons on the front.
Children’s learning
Year 6
Year 6 have had a busy term learning all about the circulatory system and the heart: they have conducted experiments; created blood soup; and built clay models of the heart. In Autumn term 2, year 6 students have been learning all about evolution; they have become palaeontologists, examining fossils; learnt all about the process of natural selection; and learned all about genetics, off-spring and hybrids.
Year 5
What an amazing Autumn term year 5 have had; during their exciting Space topic, they have had a planetarium visit where they got to travel through the solar system and learn about the planets!
Year 4
In science this term, year 4 have learnt all about sound and how it travels. They have had fun experimenting with making sounds and have tested tuning forks in water as well as making ear gongs. In Autumn term 2, year 4 students have looked at how to classify living things and have learned how to classify trees by studying the bark.
Year 3
This term, year 3 have enjoyed their science topic – Rocks and Fossils. They investigated different types of rock (such as sedimentary and igneous rocks) and where they came from. They also explored how a fossil is formed and went on an exciting trip, to Robin Hood’s Bay, to hunt for them!
Year 2
This term, year 2 have been learning all about what makes a superhero; they have looked at how any why we keep our bodies healthy and have learned about the importance of good hygiene. In HT2, Year 2 have been learning about what happens when we grow up and have discussed the needs of babies and children.
Year 1
This term, year 1 have been learning all about the five senses: they have named and labelled the basic body body parts; conducted investigations for taste, see, touch, hear, smell; and have investigated which part of the body is associated with each sense. They then used their sense, ‘see’ to make observations about the changing seasons.
Children’s learning
Year 6
This is the Year 6 Science topic ‘What does a journey through your body look like? which is part of ANIMALS, INCLUDING HUMANS’. Here they learnt about the components of blood: plasma, red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets and what their functions are.
These are pictures from the Year 6 Science topic ‘Why are our eyes special? which is part of the LIGHT topic.’ Here they learnt about light travelling in a straight line and how a periscope works to make light go around a corner.
These are pictures from the Year 6 Science topic ‘Why are our eyes special? which is part of the LIGHT topic.’ Here they learnt about how light disperses into a spectrum and light waves bend and refract in water changing how we see a pencil.
These are pictures from the Year 6 Science topic What does a journey through your body look like? which is part of ANIMALS, INCLUDING HUMANS’. Here they learnt about the main parts of the heart; the four chambers, the ventricles and atriums and their functions.
Year 5
These are pictures from the Year 5 Science topic What is the circle of life? which is part of ANIMALS, INCLUDING HUMANS/LIVING THINGS AND THEIR HABITATS’. Here they learnt about the role of the flower, it’s parts and their function and the process of pollination and fertilisation.
Year 4
These are pictures from the Year 4 Science topic Can you feel the vibrations? which is part of SOUND’. Here they learnt about vibrations and how sounds enter the ear.
These are pictures from the Year 4 Science topic Why is classification critical and how can we help the world? which is part of LIVING THINGS AND THEIR HABITATS’. Here they learnt about using classification keys to help group, identify and name a variety of living things in their local and wider environment.
These are pictures from the experiment that children did in Year 4 to describe the simple functions of the basic parts of the digestive system in humans, as well as a sheet explaining how many incisors, molars and canines the children had in their mouths and they had to label the parts of a mouth.
Impact
At the start of each topic, teachers are given a pre-unit assessment activity to assess the children’s knowledge and skills.
Year 6 pre assessment exampleKnowledge organisers are also displayed in children’s books at the start of each topic.
Y6 KO example Year 2 KO exampleChildren then show their learning from the unit in a post task assessment. Children’s work in science is assessed through teacher judgements as we observe children working scientifically, asking questions and through marking their written work. Teacher judgements for each child are then recorded on a science tracker to enable teachers to make accurate judgements at the end of each key stage.
