Science

Science Curriculum Overview

This document details how we organise the skills, knowledge and vocabulary that is taught in Science across the school in each year group.

Science Curriculum Map Overview .pdf

Curriculum Intent

At Westmoor Primary School, our children are SCIENTISTS! Science has changed our lives and is vital to the world's future prosperity. We want our children to love science. We want them to have no limits to their aspirations. Our intent is to give every child a broad and balanced Science curriculum through the specific disciplines of biology, chemistry and physics. This should enable them to confidently explore and discover what is around them, so they have a deeper understanding of the world we live in.
The Scientific area of learning is concerned with increasing pupils’ knowledge and understanding of our world and with developing skills associated with Science as a process of enquiry. This will involve exciting, practical hands on experiences that develop the natural curiosity of the child, encourage respect for living organisms and the physical environment and provide opportunities for critical evaluation of evidence.

Curriculum Implementation
Through our Science Curriculum, all pupils will develop a sense of curiosity, awe and wonder. They will develop an enquiring mind and have the confidence to question why and how things happen in an ever-changing scientific world.

At Westmoor, children are provided with a wide range of opportunities and resources and will be actively encouraged to participate in hands on investigations and enquiries. By promoting first hand experiences we hope to enthuse children in taking an active interest in science and a deep appreciation of its contribution to all aspects of everyday life. In order to do this, lessons are not restricted to the classroom, but where possible we make use of outdoor facilities such as the playing field, playground, allotment and the tree house so as to enhance the children’s learning experiences. This enables the children to develop their investigation skills, team work and problem solving skills.

Curriculum Impact

The successful approach at Westmoor results in a fun, engaging, high-quality science education, that provides children with the foundations for understanding the world.

Through various workshops, trips and interactions with experts, children have the understanding that science has changed our lives and that it is vital to the world’s future prosperity.

Work undertaken during science lessons will be of a practical nature, wherever possible, therefore recording of such work will invariably take a variety of forms. Where written work is completed in science books, it will be marked in accordance with the school’s policy, as an aid to progression and to celebrate achievement.

At times children may be asked to self-assess or peer assess their own or other’s work. This is an important element when assessing if a daily target has been met but also to help children to better focus on future targets for their progression. This is commonly referred to as Assessment for Learning, which helps the children and the teacher to reflect on what has been learnt so far. At the end of each science unit, teachers will assess whether children are working at/above or below the expected level for their age based on their understanding and application of the content of the National Curriculum 2014.

Relevant Documents

Here are some documents which are relevant to Science at Westmoor.