Howick Church of England Primary School

“I can do all this through Him who gives me strength."

Science Intent 

At Howick CE Primary School we believe that a high quality science education provides the foundations for understanding the world through the specific disciplines of biology, chemistry and physics. Science has changed our lives and is vital to the world’s future prosperity.  All our pupils are taught essential aspects of the knowledge, methods, processes and uses of science. Through building up a body of key foundational knowledge and concepts, our pupils are encouraged to recognise the power of rational explanation and develop a sense of excitement and curiosity about natural phenomena. They are taught to understand how science can be used to explain what is occurring, predict how things will behave, and analyse causes.

Science in our school is about developing children’s ideas and ways of working that enable them to make sense of the world in which they live through investigation, as well as using and applying process skills. Our staff ensure that all children are exposed to high quality teaching and learning experiences, which allow children to explore their outdoor environment and locality, thus developing their scientific enquiry and investigative skills. They are immersed in scientific vocabulary, which aids children’s knowledge and understanding not only of the topic they are studying, but of the world around them. We intend to provide all children regardless of ethnic origin, gender, class, aptitude or disability, with a broad and balanced science curriculum.

Implementation

In ensuring high standards of teaching and learning in science, we implement a curriculum that is progressive throughout the whole school.

Planning for science is a process in which all teachers are involved to ensure that the school gives full coverage of the National Curriculum programmes of study and Understanding the World in the Early Years Foundation Stage. Science teaching at Howick involves adapting and extending the curriculum to match all pupils’ needs.  Science is taught as discrete units and lessons with links made to all areas of the curriculum.  Due to our mixed aged classes, science units are taught on a two year rolling programme. This ensures progression between year groups and guarantees topics are covered. Teachers plan to suit their children’s interests, current events, their own teaching style, the use of any support staff and the resources available.

We ensure that all children are provided with rich learning experiences that aim to:

  • Prepare our children for life in an increasingly scientific and technological world today and in the future.
  • Help our children acquire a growing understanding of the nature, processes and methods of scientific ideas.
  • Help develop and extend our children’s scientific concept of their world.
  • Build on our children’s natural curiosity and developing a scientific approach to problems.
  • Encourage open-mindedness, self-assessment, perseverance and developing skills of investigation – including: observing, measuring, predicting, hypothesising, experimenting, communicating, interpreting, explaining and evaluating.
  • Develop the use of scientific language, recording and techniques.
  • Develop the use of computing in investigating and recording.
  • Make links between science and other subjects.

Science is taught consistently, once a week for up to two hours and is discretely taught in many different contexts throughout all areas of the curriculum. For example, through English, i.e. writing a letter to a local politician regarding the closure of a park/biography of a famous scientist’s life, etc.

Our Knowledge Books are used as a prior learning tool, to articulate learning at the end of a unit and to encourage our children to make links and recall, develop and extend learning. 

Impact

The impact and measure of this is to ensure children not only acquire the appropriate age related knowledge linked to the science curriculum, but also skills which equip them to progress from their starting points, and within their everyday lives.

All children will have:

  • A wider variety of skills linked to both scientific knowledge and understanding, and scientific enquiry/investigative skills.
  • A richer vocabulary which will enable to articulate their understanding of taught concepts.
  • High aspirations, which will see them through to further study, work and a successful adult life.
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CSI Visitor

A super visit from the Lancashire CSI team who spent the afternoon with Class 3.  The children enjoyed learning about the DNA and human characteristics. 

Visit to Hutton Grammar School

All of KS2 enjoyed visiting Hutton Grammar where they worked alongside their teachers and students to investigate sustainable energy.

Science in Class 2

 Class 2 have been focussing on Plants this half term and have been using a range of science skills to explore and understand this topic. They have asked questions, made predictions and observed the parts of a plant.

KAPLA Day

We all enjoyed welcoming KAPLA Clubs UK to Howick and took part in inspiring STEM workshops.  STEM-based education not only teaches children about science, technology, engineering and mathematical concepts but with a focus on hands-on learning it develops life-long skills such as curiosity, critical thinking, problem solving, creativity, communication and collaboration.

 

Under the guidance of a KAPLA expert, each class had the opportunity to take part in a 3D hands-on learning activity, which had been carefully linked to the curriculum. By the end of the construction, we had our own monumental masterpiece which showcased each child’s artistic contribution.

Thank you to those parents who were able to come and view our work, they all agreed how incredible it was. 

 

Science in Early Years! 

The reception children have been learning about seasonal changes. They created their own ice baubles using water and foraged leaves, twigs and berries. They will observe the hanging baubles over the coming days.