Science

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At The John Moore Primary School, we encourage children to show the soar value by being inquisitive and to ask important questions about how things work and why things happen in a certain way. Ultimately, this will help all children to understand the world they are growing up in and provide them with life skills to better access it, to share and respect successes, as well as becoming creative thinkers and adults who strive to seek solutions to problems and answers to life’s questions.  

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The curriculum is designed to ensure that children are able to acquire key scientific knowledge through practical experiences; using equipment, conducting experiments, building arguments and explaining concepts confidently. 

We strive to promote a joy and excitement for learning, which our children can use in all other areas of the curriculum and ultimately of life. We want our children to experience many WOW moments and be able to approach unknown and unexplainable phenomenon with awe, wonder and sparkle. 

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Outdoor learning ensure the children can apply their skills and knowledge, particularly in the areas of Biology and Ecology where children have the opportunity to observe living things in their natural habitats and observe seasonal and climatic changes over an extended period of time. 

 
Teachers create a positive attitude to science learning within their classrooms and reinforce an expectation that all pupils are capable of achieving high standards in science. Science is taught in a “hands on” way where possible and activities are created to develop the scientific enquiry skills of the children. Teachers use precise questioning in class to test conceptual knowledge and skills  

We encourage children to ask “Why/How?” questions and encourage them to develop awe and wonder for our world. 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. 

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Existing knowledge is checked at the beginning of each topic, as part of the KWL strategy (What I know, What I would like to Know and What I have Learned). This ensures that teaching is informed by the children’s starting points and that it takes account of pupil voice, incorporating children’s interests. 

 

● We build upon the knowledge and skill development of the previous years. As the children’s knowledge and understanding increases, they become more proficient in selecting, using scientific equipment, collating and interpreting results, they become increasingly confident in their growing ability to come to conclusions based on real evidence. 
● By working scientifically skills are embedded into lessons to ensure that skills are systematically developed throughout the children’s school career and 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 in order to embed scientific understanding.  

● Regular events, such as Science Week or Forest School week, allow all pupils to come off-timetable, to provide broader provision and the acquisition and application of knowledge and skills.  

● At the end of each topic, key knowledge is reviewed by the children and rigorously checked by the teacher and consolidated as necessary. 

 
The successful approach at The John Moore Primary results in a fun, engaging, high-quality science education, that provides children with the foundations and knowledge for understanding the world. Our engagement with the local environment ensures that children learn through varied and first hand experiences of the world around them and further supplemented through Outdoor Learning and Eco Council. Frequent, continuous and progressive learning outside the classroom is embedded throughout the science curriculum. Children learn the possibilities for careers in science, as a result of our community links and connection with national agencies including the STEM association. They learn from and work with professionals, ensuring access to positive role models within the field of science from the immediate and wider local community. From this exposure to a range of different scientists from various backgrounds, all children feel they are scientists and capable of achieving. Children at The John Moore Primary overwhelmingly enjoy science and this will result in motivated learners with sound scientific understanding.  

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Key documents

Science Curriculum Map

National curriculum in England: science programmes of study - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) 

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