Intent

At Mission Grove Primary School, we recognise the importance of science in every aspect of daily life and therefore Science teaching and learning has high prominence. All children will be provided with a broad and balanced science curriculum which reflects the equality and diversity policies and practice in school. Our curriculum enables children to become enquiry-based learners collaborating through asking questions, researching, investigating and evaluating experiences. It will encourage respect for living organisms and for the physical environment. We aim to hook the children’s interest, enabling them to develop a sense of excitement and curiosity about natural phenomena. Throughout the programmes of study, the children will acquire and develop the key knowledge that has been identified within each unit and build on these over the years. Children will be immersed in key scientific vocabulary, which supports in the acquisition of scientific knowledge and understanding. The following types of scientific enquiries are woven throughout our curriculum: Problem Solving, Pattern Seeking, Comparative/Fair Testing, Research, Observation Over Time and Identifying, Grouping and Classifying to ensure that children are gaining a full breadth of opportunities to engage in learning as scientists. All aspects of ‘Working Scientifically’ from the National Curriculum are interwoven throughout our curriculum, again, to ensure that children understand what it means to be a successful scientist.

Implementation

Mission Grove Primary has a clear and comprehensive scheme of work in line with the National Curriculum where teaching and learning shows progression across all key stages within the strands of Science and plans for practical investigations All children are catered for through adapted planning suited to their abilities and tailored to interests. Children will be able to build on prior knowledge and link ideas together, enabling them to question and become enquiry-based learners. Where applicable links to Science will be made to develop the children’s topical learning. Teachers demonstrate how to use scientific equipment, and the various Working Scientifically skills in order to embed scientific understanding. The learning environment and teaching strategies help to keep all children engaged and inspire them to want to investigate the world around them, including the school grounds, through group discussions, presentations, demonstrations, videos, practical explanations, experimental work, as well as child-led instruction where this is possible and appropriate. Learning activities focus on developing our children to enquire, observe, locate sources of information, plan investigations, select appropriate equipment and use it safely, measure, record and analyse results and communicate findings. The classrooms display resources (either permanent or for specific lessons) which are used to engage a child’s natural curiosity. An overview of the associated learning opportunities in science are displayed on the subject webpage within the school website.

Teachers find opportunities to develop children’s understanding of their surroundings by accessing outdoor learning and workshops with experts. Children have access to key language and meanings in order to understand and readily apply to their written, mathematical and verbal communication of their skills. Science is delivered by teachers who undergo CPD opportunities as a key part of the ongoing development to incorporate evidence based best practice for teaching this subject. Curriculum planning for science is in three phases: long, medium and short term.

A high proportion of learning science incorporates our children engaging in practical science which allows them to understand a concept, but will also be recorded in a range of appropriate formats that may include:

• written accounts including: instructions, reports and explanations
• illustrations
• annotated diagrams
• spreadsheets (data collection)
• charts, graphs and tables
• model making

Enrichment activities, such as ‘Science Week’, Borrow the Moon and visitors, promote the profile of Science and allow time for the children to freely explore scientific topics.

Impact

The successful approach to the teaching of science at Mission Grove Primary results in a fun, engaging, high quality science education that provides children with the foundations for understanding the world. Children retain prior-learning and explicitly make connections between what they have previously learned and what they are currently learning and real-life applications using rich science language. Children work collaboratively and practically, demonstrating a high love of mathematical skills through their work, organising, recording and interpreting results. Children learn the possibilities for careers in science and are interested in future study or work in Science fields. So much of science lends itself to outdoor learning, and so Mission Grove provides children with opportunities to experience this.

Assessment at Mission Grove Primary is teacher based and formed using formal strategies (e.g. prior learning assessment tasks, quizzes) and informal strategies (Use of concept maps, verbal/written outcomes, reflection tasks/presentations). Formative assessment is used as the main tool for assessing the impact of Science at Mission Grove Primary as it allows for misconceptions and gaps to be addressed more immediately rather than building on insecure scientific foundations.

Impact of learning will be assessed though: Interviews, deep dives, assessing whether or not children can answer questions about the scientific enquirers and make links to prior learning etc. Formative assessment is embedded into each lesson in the form of evaluating their own work and of others, discussions and plenaries. Teachers use Insights every term to track the child's progress against the different science skills.

PSQM

The Primary Science Quality Mark is an award scheme to develop and celebrate the quality of science teaching and learning in primary schools to enable primary schools across the UK to evaluate, strengthen and celebrate their science provision. Schools can achieve bronze, silver and gold awards.

We are so very pleased and excited to report that Mission Grove Primary have been awarded the top mark – GOLD! This is very exciting news for Mission Grove and congratulations go to our Science team, the outstanding teaching that took place in the classrooms and our wonderful children who took part in all of our projects with such enthusiasm and curiosity.