Science
“In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.” Matthew 5 v.16
Intent for Science
It is our vision to distil a lifelong love of science within our pupils. Science teaching at Church Hill Junior School aims to give all children a strong understanding of the world around them whilst acquiring specific skills and knowledge to help them to think scientifically, to gain an understanding of scientific processes and also an understanding of the uses and implications of Science, today and for the future.
At Church Hill Junior School, scientific enquiry skills are embedded in each topic the children study and these topics are revisited and developed throughout their time at school. Topics, such as Electricity, are taught in Year Four and again in Year Six. This model allows children to build upon their prior knowledge and increases their enthusiasm for the topics whilst embedding this procedural knowledge into the long-term memory.
All children are encouraged to develop and use a range of skills including observations, planning and investigations, as well as being encouraged to question the world around them and become independent learners in exploring possible answers for their scientific based questions. Specialist vocabulary for topics is taught and built up, and effective questioning to communicate ideas is encouraged. Concepts taught are reinforced by focusing on the key features of scientific enquiry, so that pupils learn to use a variety of approaches to answer relevant scientific questions.
Implementation
In ensuring high standards of teaching and learning in science, we implement a curriculum that is progressive throughout the whole school.
Planning for science is a process in which all teachers are involved to ensure that the school gives full coverage of, ‘The National Curriculum programmes of study for Science 2014’. Science teaching at Church Hill Junior School involves adapting and extending the curriculum to match all pupils’ needs. Where possible, science is linked to class topics. Depending on the year group, science is either taught as a block or through weekly sessions. Teachers use assessment for learning to tailor lessons around our children and help us plan for next steps. We maintain a high level of subject knowledge of science in our school by regular training and professional development.
Useful websites to help your child find out more about Science