At Chigwell Row Infant School, we want to prepare our children for life in an increasingly scientific world. We want our children to foster concern and care for our environment and help them develop a growing understanding of scientific ideas. We aim to achieve this through our exciting curriculum map, which promotes a cross curricular and creative approach to learning. Our curriculum follows the programmes of study from 2014 National Curriculum that specifies what to teach in each year group. 

Intent:

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Our curriculum for science is designed carefully:  

• To promote children’s curiosity about the world around them and to enable them to answer scientific questions about their world. 

• To encourage children to ask and answer questions and to solve problems so they can begin to understand the uses and implications of science today, and for the future. 

• To develop scientific knowledge and understanding through the disciplines of biology, chemistry and physics. 

• To develop the skills of investigation, including observing, measuring, predicting, explaining, communicating and evaluating. 

• To develop the use of Computing in investigating and recording. 

• To develop the use of scientific language, and enrich their vocabulary to support their understanding of the world around them. 

Science is a core subject in the National Curriculum. The programmes of study for each year group describe a sequence of knowledge and concepts. Our intent is for children to develop a secure understanding of the knowledge and concepts, as well as developing positive attitudes. ‘Working Scientifically’ specifies the understanding of the nature, processes and methods of science for each year group, so children are equipped with a range of scientific skills. 

Children in the Foundation Stage are taught the science elements of the Foundation Stage document through the Early Years Curriculum: Understanding the World 

Implementation: 

Children have weekly lessons in Science using various programmes of study and resources. In Early years, science is taught through the children learning about the world around them in their learning through play. Additional opportunities are provided in Science, such as science days for children, workshops and educational visits linked to the science curriculum, such as visits to the Lambourne End Centre, The Grange Farm Centre and Hainault Forest.  

We endeavour to ensure that the Science curriculum we provide will give children the confidence and motivation to 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 are capable of achieving high standards in science.  

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. Planning involves teachers creating engaging lessons, often involving high-quality resources to aid understanding of conceptual knowledge. Teachers use precise questioning in class to test conceptual knowledge and skills, and assess children regularly to identify those children with gaps in learning, so that all children keep up. 

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, 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 new vocabulary and challenging concepts are introduced through direct teaching. This is developed through the school, in-keeping with the topics. 

Teachers demonstrate how to use scientific equipment, and the various Working Scientifically skills in order to embed scientific understanding. Teachers find opportunities to develop children’s understanding of their surroundings by accessing outdoor learning and workshops with experts. 

Impact:

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Children at Chigwell Row Infant School experience a fun, engaging, high-quality science education, that provides children with the foundations 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. So much of science lends itself to outdoor learning and so we provide children with opportunities to experience this.

Through various workshops, trips and charity projects,  children have the understanding that science has changed our lives and that it is vital to the world’s future prosperity. Pupil voice is used to further develop the Science curriculum, through questioning of pupil’s views and attitudes to Science to support the children’s enjoyment of science and to motivate learners.