Science
"The important thing is never to stop questioning."
Albert Einstein
Intent
Our Science curriculum is designed to spark curiosity, encourage questioning, and develop a deep understanding of the world around us. We aim to equip children with the knowledge, skills, and vocabulary to explore scientific concepts and processes through hands-on investigation and critical thinking. Our goal is to nurture young scientists who are confident in not only gathering the knowledge to become expert scientists but also the disciplinary understanding to work as a scientist too.
We want every child to leave primary school with a strong foundation in scientific knowledge and enquiry, ready to build on this in secondary education and beyond. Our curriculum is carefully sequenced and revisited regularly to ensure that children not only learn more but remember more.
Implementation
Science is taught through a well-structured curriculum that builds progressively from EYFS to Year 6. Each unit is planned to develop both substantive knowledge (scientific facts and concepts) and disciplinary knowledge (working scientifically skills). Topics are revisited and built upon over time to strengthen understanding and retention.
Scientific vocabulary is explicitly taught, reinforced and displayed in each classroom, helping children to articulate their thinking clearly and accurately. Teachers use retrieval practice, our own medium-term plans, and low-stakes quizzes (where necessary) to support long-term memory and ensure key concepts are retained. As with our humanities curriculum, each overview is led by an over-riding 'driver' question. Each lesson within this overview then has a smaller sub-question which then feeds into this mean question. These questions are small steps which build upon one another supported by Rosenshine's key principles.
Investigating, observing, hypothesising and questioning are key elements of our science curriculum at West Bretton. This may include observing the movement of snails in the Foundation Stage mud kitchen to independently planning a fair test investigation on dissolving in Key Stage 2.
Children learn through practical first hand investigations and observations. They are taught scientific knowledge based on the subjects of Biology, Chemistry and Physics as well as the key enquiry skills related to carrying out experiments. These include planning, predicting, fair test investigations, recording and concluding.
At West Bretton, we deliver a two-year rolling cycle which ensures children build on prior learning to continually connect the knowledge they have gathered earlier in school to the more complex aspects they visit in Key Stage 2 and beyond. Our aim here is to build learners who are curious about the ever-changing world about them. If you're in doubt, just ask the children!
Impact
Our pupils develop a secure understanding of scientific concepts and processes. They can confidently use scientific vocabulary, explain their thinking, and apply their knowledge to new situations. Through regular opportunities to work scientifically, children become skilled in planning investigations, recording results, and drawing conclusions based on evidence.
Assessment for learning is used throughout each unit to identify gaps and inform teaching. By the end of Key Stage 2, our pupils are well-prepared for the next stage of their science education, with a strong foundation of knowledge and a genuine enthusiasm for exploring the world scientifically.
Please see below for our Science curriculum overview:
