Science
Intent:
At Camps Hill, our intent is to provide all children with rich opportunities to develop and secure key scientific knowledge through practical, hands‑on experiences. We believe that science is best learned through working scientifically—using real equipment, conducting meaningful investigations, gathering evidence, building arguments and confidently explaining concepts.
Our curriculum is designed to nurture children’s natural curiosity and encourage them to ask questions about the world around them. Through progressive teaching of scientific skills such as observing, predicting, classifying, testing and evaluating, pupils learn to think critically and draw reasoned conclusions.
We aim for all children to leave Camps Hill as confident, inquisitive and reflective young scientists who are prepared to understand, explore and contribute to the rapidly changing world they live in.
Implementation:
We aim to do this by:
- Using skills wheels in every lesson (from Reception to Year 6) to help the children recognise which skills they are using, ensuring that prior skills are built on.
- At least one hands on, practical investigation per topic.
- Teachers to teach children ‘how’ to carry out practical procedures.
- Providing children with opportunities to answer questions using different types of enquiry (fair test, identifying and classifying, using secondary sources, patterns, observing over time).
- Having whole school Science enrichment days to provide children with active, first hand experiences to ensure that learning is memorable and enjoyable.
- Knowledge organisers are used to check existing knowledge at the beginning of each topic to ensure teaching is informed by the children’s starting points and at the end of the topic to see what they have learnt.
- Use the outside environment to support hands on learning.
How we measure impact:
- Frequent formative assessment (in class questioning) to identify any gaps in learning and to clarify any misconceptions.
- Knowledge organisers will identify any gaps in learning and teachers will be able to plan and address these to close these gaps.
- The National Curriculum has been broken down across Key Stage 1 and 2 to ensure that key skills and knowledge are taught.
- At the end of each term, teachers will make judgements about pupil’s understanding/application and record these on our assessment system, Pupils will be judged at working towards, at or beyond these age related expectations.
Skills Wheels
Documents