Science
Intent
Our school's intent with our Science curriculum is to encourage love of learning about Science by stimulating the children's interest and enthusiasm for the subject. We aim to ensure that children learn to expand their knowledge of the world around them and practice key scientific skills such as researching, working methodically, recording, categorising and considering the implications of their scientific knowledge. Children will work individually and as part of a team to carry out investigations. The aim being that the children’s lives are enriched with increasing confidence in their own learning, the embedding of meta-cognitive techniques for deeper consideration of the topic, and an understanding of the importance of working together independently and collaboratively.
At Great Kimble Church of England School, we use the Kapow Primary Science Curriculum, which aims to develop a sense of excitement and curiosity about natural phenomena and an understanding of how the scientific community contributes to our past, present and future.
This curriculum is designed to develop a complex knowledge of Biology, Chemistry and Physics, but also adopt a broad range of skills in working scientifically and beyond.
The scheme of work is inclusive and meaningful, so all pupils may experience the joy of science and make associations between their science learning and their lives outside the classroom.
Studying science allows children to appreciate how new knowledge and skills can be fundamental to solving arising global challenges. The curriculum aims to encourage critical thinking and empower pupils to question the hows and whys of the world around them.
The Kapow Scheme encourages:
● A strong focus on developing knowledge alongside scientific skills across Biology, Chemistry and Physics.
● Curiosity and excitement about familiar and unknown observations.
● Challenging misconceptions and demystifying truths.
● Continuous progression by building on practical and investigative skills across all units.
● Critical thinking, with the ability to ask perceptive questions and explain and analyse evidence.
● Development of scientific literacy using wide-ranging, specialist vocabulary.
© Kapow Primary™ 2021
Implementation
Our Kapow Curriculum identifies the following strands:
● Scientific knowledge and understanding of:
○ Biology - living organisms and vital processes.
○ Chemistry - matter and its properties.
○ Physics - how the world we live in ‘works’.
● Working scientifically - processes and methods of science to answer questions about the world around us.
● Science in action - uses and implications of science in the past, present and for the future.
Kapow Primary’s Science Scheme is a spiral curriculum, with essential knowledge and skills revisited with increasing complexity, allowing pupils to revise and build on their previous learning. A range of engaging recall activities promote frequent pupil reflection on prior learning, ensuring new learning is approached with confidence. The Science in Action strand is interwoven throughout the scheme to make the concepts and skills relevant to pupils and inspiring for future application. Cross-curricular links are included throughout each unit, allowing children to make connections and apply their science skills to other areas of learning.
Each unit is based upon one of the key science disciplines; Biology, Chemistry and Physics and, to show progression throughout the school, Kapow has grouped the National curriculum content into six key areas of science:
- Plants
- Animals, including humans
- Living things and habitats
- Materials
- Energy
- Forces, Earth and space.
Pupils explore knowledge and conceptual understanding through engaging activities and an introduction to relevant specialist vocabulary. As suggested in Ofsted’s Science research review (April 2021), the ‘working scientifically’ skills are integrated with conceptual understanding rather than taught discretely. This provides frequent, but relevant, opportunities for developing scientific enquiry skills. The scheme utilises practical activities that aid in the progression of individual skills and also provides opportunities for full investigations.
Each year group has a ‘Making Connections’ unit that delves beyond the essential curriculum, assimilating prior knowledge and skills to evoke excitement and to provide an additional method of assessing scientific attainment.
© Kapow Primary™ 2021
Impact
The approach to the teaching of science at Great Kimble Church of England School results in a fun, engaging, high quality science education, that provides children with the foundations for understanding the world that they can take with them once they complete their primary education. It gives them an introduction to the possibilities ahead of them in the fields of science.
The impact of using the Kapow Primary’s Science Scheme can be constantly monitored through both formative and summative assessment opportunities.
Each unit has a unit quiz and a knowledge and skills catcher, which can be used to provide a summative assessment. Opportunities for children to communicate using scientific vocabulary also forms part of the assessment process in each unit.
By using the Kapow Primary Science Scheme, pupils should leave school equipped with the requisite skills and knowledge to succeed in key stage 3 Science. They will have the necessary tools to confidently and meaningfully question and explore the world around them, as well as critically and analytically experiencing and observing phenomena. Pupils will understand the significance and impact of Science on society.
As we use the Kapow Primary Science Scheme, children have the opportunity to:
● Develop a body of foundational knowledge for the Biology topics in the National curriculum: Plants; Animals, Including Humans; Living Things and Their Habitats; Evolution and Inheritance.
● Develop a body of foundational knowledge for the Chemistry topics in the National curriculum: Everyday Materials; Uses of Everyday Materials; Properties and Changes of Materials; States of Matter; Rocks.
● Develop a body of foundational knowledge for the Physics topics in the National curriculum: Seasonal Changes; Forces and Magnets; Sound; Light; Electricity; Earth and Space.
● Be able to evaluate and identify the methods that ‘real world’ scientists use to develop and answer scientific questions.
● Identify and use equipment effectively to accurately gather, measure and record data.
● Be able to display and convey data in a variety of ways, including graphs.
● Analyse data in order to identify, classify, group, and find patterns.
● Use evidence to formulate explanations and conclusions.
● Demonstrate scientific literacy through presenting concepts and communicating ideas using scientific vocabulary.
● Understand the importance of resilience and a growth mindset, particularly in reference to scientific enquiry.
● Meet the end of key stage expectations outlined in the National curriculum for Science.
© Kapow Primary™ 2021