Science at White Rock 

INTENT

Science is an integral part of the White Rock Curriculum. White Rock was awarded the PSQM in 2018 and is once again embarking on the journey in 2022/23 to be re-accredited. This award recognises our whole school commitment to an investigative, balanced and exciting Science curriculum, ensuring that all children leaving our school have a good Science capital. 

We want our children to actively engage in practical Science. Teachers plan lessons based on an agreed set of practical skills (see curriculum maps) and these form a prominent part of our Science journeys. Alongside the Science skills progression, knowledge is also taught to underpin the concepts covered. Through practical investigations we aim to give our science a real-world context. Our curriculum encourages children to ask questions and be inquisitive, investigate problems in different ways and analyse their outcomes. These skills are a fundamental part of the curriculum as they ensure that children leave White Rock with curiosity and an eagerness to investigate and explore the world around them. 

IMPLEMENTATION

Science is a journey that is undertaken at least once a week. Teachers analyse children’s start points through effective assessment tasks. In KS2 we use Century as a tool for finding out how much children know before and after a taught sequence. In KS1, children undertake a small knowledge elicitation which gives teachers a clear indication of the needs and progress of children throughout their Science Journey. These systems enable teachers to plan effective lesson which build on prior knowledge and also make accurate judgements about children's attainment. Children learn both the knowledge and practical skills in combination. The learning outcome at the end of the journey is contextualised to provide meaning to the children. At points during the year, Science end outcomes are linked to DT to enable children to use skills taught in lessons and apply them to a contextualised learning outcome.

In EYFS: Children will be curious about why things happen and begin to make simple predictions. They will understand what they see and begin asking ‘why?’ Science links to the foundation stage skills of 'understanding of the world' and teachers plan weekly tasks that encourage children to interact with science concepts through hands on learning experiences. 

In KS1: Science is taught on a weekly basis. Children are starting to link ideas and concepts together. For example: I can use that material to make a coat because it is waterproof and flexible. They start to show a clear understanding of basic language and understand how to investigate a problem.

In KS2: Science is taught on a weekly basis. Children are able to analyse the effectiveness of their experiments and compare the results to others. Children can formulate and investigation independently to answer a question and can understand that there are different ways of answering a question. Children are critical and analytical about the work of others.

In the summer term, the school adopts a whole school Science theme which is called 'Be Curious' or 'Explore More'. In these topics, we study some of the world's leading scientist and critical thinkers encouraging children to question their understanding and learn through failure. As a school we pride ourselves on showing the importance of Science and therefore encourage the engagement of parents and carers wherever possible. In the summer term, parents and carers are invited into each class see some of the exciting science learning on display. Through the use of end of year reports and termly parents evening we report Science progress and attainment to parents. 

Progression of Skills

Science Curriculum Maps