Beechcroft St Paul'sC of E Primary School
Science Overview
At Beechcroft St Paul's, we know that a high-quality science education is the key to understanding the world around us via the disciplines of biology, chemistry and physics. Our science lessons are designed to spark children’s curiosity, where they are taught to use science to explain how the world works, predict how things will behave and analyse causes- essential skills if they are to discover truth within an age of information. Science at Beechcorft St Paul's allows children simultaneously to interpret their present and to create their own future. In this way, the science curriculum not only enables but informs our curriculum drivers:
Broadening Horizons
Broadening our horizons through science helps children discover new aspects of the world beyond their everyday experiences. We encourage them to learn about a wide variety of plants, animals, and environments from around the world. They explore exciting new technologies and scientific discoveries, ask thoughtful questions, and develop the skills they need to continue learning about science throughout their lives. By opening their eyes to the wonders of the world, we aim to inspire a lasting excitement for science.
Understanding Our Place in the World
Our science curriculum also supports children to understand their place in the world. They begin to explore how people, animals and the environment are all interconnected. Through this, children learn about nature and the ways living things depend on one another. They also develop an understanding of how human actions can impact the environment, both positively and negatively, and consider important global issues such as climate change and wildlife conservation. This helps them grow a sense of responsibility and respect for the natural world and for others.
Responsible Decision Makers
As part of our focus on developing Responsible Decision Makers, science helps children learn how to make thoughtful choices that support their well-being, their communities, and the wider world. It teaches them how to stay healthy and take care of their bodies and minds. Through scientific enquiry, they learn to ask questions, explore ideas, and investigate the world around them. When learning about new discoveries and technologies, they consider how these might affect people and the planet. Science also encourages collaboration, helping children work together to solve real-life problems. These experiences guide them to become responsible, caring individuals who make decisions that lead to a better future for everyone.
Aims of the Science Curriculum
At Beechcroft St Paul's, we follow the National Curriculum for science, which aims to ensure that all pupils:
develop scientific knowledge and conceptual understanding through the 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; are equipped with the scientific knowledge required to understand the uses and implications of science, today and for the future.
To this end, the science curriculum at Beechcroft St Paul's is designed to simultaneously deliver substantive knowledge (“what we learn”) alongside procedural knowledge (“how we learn”). The sequence of learning dictates what should be taught, when it should be taught and how it should be taught, anticipating common misconceptions and providing a rich background of detailed subject knowledge for teachers in order that all children can reach beyond core concepts. Understanding of each key block of substantive knowledge is revisited across the years to ensure genuine progression, while the curriculum details the specialist vocabulary children should be able to use accurately and precisely at each stage.
Procedural knowledge employed in class is chosen for relevance to the substantive knowledge and shared with the children as “working as a scientist”. These types of scientific enquiry include: observing over time; pattern seeking; identifying, classifying and grouping; comparative and fair testing (controlled investigations); researching using secondary sources; and applying their mathematical knowledge to their understanding of science, including collecting, presenting and analysing data. In turn, activities in class develop the relevant procedural knowledge alongside the substantive. Practical tasks are carefully considered to ensure that they promote the children’s best work; are relevant to the unit studied; and make the learning journey assured.
The substantive and procedural knowledge in the National Curriculum from which the sequence of learning at Throckley is derived can be viewed below