"Nothing in life is to be feared, it is only to be understood." - Marie Curie 

SCIENCE 

At Kirkby on Bain C of E Primary School, our children are encouraged to develop an enquiring mind, to hypothesise, predict and question the world around them. Science at our school promotes the natural curiosity children possess when regarding our universe, promoting respect for the living and non-living things around us.

We strongly believe that science is routed in the procurement of knowledge, concepts, skills and positive, inquisitive attitudes.  The National Curriculum Science Programme of Study outlines what skills and knowledge children will acquire and develop throughout their Primary years. We believe that not only should children have a sound knowledge and understanding of the concepts covered in the National Curriculum but also that the Working Scientifically skills are built-on and developed throughout their school career so that they can use equipment, conduct experiments, build arguments, and explain concepts confidently and continue to ask questions and be curious about their surroundings and ideas throughout their lives. 

"Tell me and I will forget,
Show me and I may remember,
Involve me and I will understand."
- Aristotle

Our intent, implemtation and impact.

Intent

At Kirkby on Bain Primary School, in conjunction with the aims of the National Curriculum, our science teaching offers opportunities for children to:

• develop scientific knowledge and conceptual understanding through the specific disciplines of Biology, Chemistry and Physics;
• develop understanding of the nature, processes and methods of science through different types of science enquiries that help them to answer scientific questions about the world around them;
• be equipped with the scientific knowledge required to understand the uses and implications of science, today and for the future.
• develop the essential scientific enquiry skills to deepen their scientific knowledge.
• use a range of methods to communicate their scientific information and present it in a systematic, scientific manner, including I.C.T., diagrams, graphs and charts.
• develop a respect for the materials and equipment they handle with regard to their own, and other children’s safety.
• develop an enthusiasm and enjoyment of scientific learning and discovery.

Implementation

The National Curriculum provides a structure and skill development for the science curriculum being taught throughout the school, this is supported by the PLAN knowledge matrices, ensuring a well-structured approach. Where possible, our science focus is linked to our golden threads: key whole school foci that are intertwined with our learning across each long term. They are crucial in helping our children to know more and remember more but also to make sense of that learning. The golden threads provide links for our children and wider context for them to consider beyond the bare facts, helping to reflect a balanced programme of study.

 At Kirkby on Bain, Our Early Years and Key Stage One children explore science, as they do with most areas of the curriculum, in a very child-initiated way. This means that teachers provide a quality input and are skilled in ensuring all of their curriculum knowledge and related skills are covered by the end of Y2 but the order in which they are covered is influenced by the children's interests. In Key Stage 2, the children take part in a weekly science session using a range of high-quality resources and a range of equipment to support their learning.

 We endeavour to ensure that the Science curriculum we provide will give children the confidence and motivation to be naturally inquisitive and continue to further develop their skills into the next stage of their education and life experiences.

 Teachers create a positive attitude to science learning within their classrooms and reinforce an expectation that all children can achieve high standards in science. Our whole school approach to the teaching and learning of science involves the following:

• Science will be taught in planned and arranged topic blocks by the class teacher. This is a strategy to enable the achievement of a greater depth of knowledge.
• Through our planning, we involve problem solving opportunities that allow children to find out for themselves. Children are encouraged to ask their own questions and be given opportunities to use their scientific skills and research to discover the answers. This curiosity is celebrated within the classroom.
• We build upon the learning and skill development of the previous years. As the children’s knowledge and understanding increases, and they become more proficient in selecting and using scientific equipment, collating and interpreting results, they become increasingly confident in their growing ability to come to conclusions based on real evidence.
• Working Scientifically skills are embedded into lessons to ensure these skills are being developed throughout the children’s school career and that new vocabulary and challenging concepts are introduced through direct teaching. This is developed through the years, in-keeping with the topics.
• Teachers demonstrate how to use scientific equipment, and the various Working Scientifically skills to embed scientific understanding. Teachers find opportunities to develop children’s understanding of their surroundings by accessing outdoor learning.

When assessing and monitoring progress of Science at Kirkby on Bain Primary School, teachers will:

• Give children the opportunity to demonstrate prior knowledge and then add to this over time as new learning occurs.
• Use knowledge quizzes to see and address any misconceptions.
• Take part in Progress Test in Science (PTS) twice a year to measure progress. 

Impact
The successful approach at Kirkby on Bain Primary School results in a fun, engaging, high-quality science education, that provides children with the foundations for understanding the world

At our school children will learn to:

• speak confidently about science, including uses and application in the real world
• be able to use appropriate scientific vocabulary in oral and written form
• be able to make links between different areas of science and other subject areas
• be able to recall prior scientific learning when required and use this to understand new learning
• increasingly be able to instigate their own investigations confidently and interpret their findings