Broomfields Junior

School

www.broomfieldsjunior.co.uk

SCIENCE POLICY

Together we learn, achieve and enjoy

Broomfields Junior School

Bridge Lane

Appleton

Warrington

WA4 3AH

Telephone: 01925 265297

Facsimile: 01925 861734

Email:

Version / Date / Action
1 / January 2012 / Updated Policy

Broomfields Junior School

Science Policy

Rationale

Children are naturally interested and show curiosity in their surrounding environment. By encouraging this natural, inquisitive behaviour, our curriculum aims to help the children make sense of the world around them. As Science permeates almost every aspect of daily life children need to be able to employ a practical problem-solving approach into their lives.

What is Science? Science is a practical way of finding reliable answers to questions we may ask about the world around us.

Aims

The school aims to:

  • Stimulate and excite pupils’ curiosity about changes and events in the world;
  • Satisfy this curiosity with knowledge;
  • Engage pupils as learners at many levels through linking ideas with practical experience;
  • Help pupils to learn to question and discuss scientific issues that may affect their own lives;
  • Help pupils develop, model and evaluate explanations through scientific methods of collecting evidence using critical and creative thought;
  • Show pupils how major scientific ideas contribute to technological change and how this impacts on improving the quality of our everyday lives;
  • Provide a safe environment where science can take place.

Science is a core subject in the National Curriculum. We follow the Programmes of Study (POS) for the four attainment targets. Science objectives are covered throughout QCA topics in each year grp. Topics are usually termly or half-termly. Science topics are planned by the year group.Planning takes into account that the school places a high emphasis on the development of pupils’ skills of scientific enquiry (Sc1). In the substantial majority of lessons the skills for Sc1 are taught alongside the knowledge and understanding in life processes and living things (Sc2), materials and their properties (Sc3) and physicalprocesses (Sc4). In this way there is an equivalent emphasis on Sc1 as there is on Sc2/3/4 together.

Implementation

  1. To ensure continuity and progression through out the school and its feeder infant school (Cobbs) through planning, record keeping, assessment of work.
  2. Monitoring and liaison between staff in school and Cobbs infant school.
  3. Inset feedback and staffmeetings.
  4. Follow the principles laid down in the Teaching & Learning Policy.
  5. Provide and make available books, equipment and resources. These will be constantly maintained and renewed when possible.
  6. A minimum of two hours per week to be spent on Science (more in Year 6 with revision).
  7. Science resources are stored centrally and may be selected by children. However, teachers should ensure that all equipment is returned and left orderly after use. Any faulty or damaged equipment must be brought to the attention of the Science coordinator. Use of project and high school and library loans services for books, posters and artifacts in addition to school resources.
  8. In Year 6 the class teachers will plan for revision of areas not covered in their topics in order to prepare children for the end of Key Stage 2 Assessments.
  9. Where appropriate, outdoor activities using the school grounds/visits or use of experts (e.g. dental health promotions) visiting the school should be encouraged to support class work.

Teaching and learning

All lessons have clear learning objectives that are shared and reviewed with the pupils effectively. A variety of strategies, including questioning, discussion, concept mapping and marking, are used to assess progress. Teachers assess children’s knowledge and skills on a regular basis to inform next steps in learning. Activities inspire the pupils to experiment and investigate the world around them and to help them raise their own questions such as "Why...?", "How...?" and "What happens if...?"

Activities develop the skills of enquiry, observation, locating sources of information, selecting appropriate equipment and using it safely, measuring and checking results, making comparisons and communicating results and findings. Lessons make effective links with other curriculum areas and subjects, especially literacy, numeracy and ICT. Activities are challenging, motivating and extend pupils’ learning. Pupils have frequent opportunities to develop their skills in, and take responsibility for, planning investigative work, selecting

relevant resources, making decisions about sources of information, carrying out activities safely and deciding on the best form of communicating their findings. The learning environment is stimulating with classroom displays for each topic that are interactive and contain relevant topic vocabulary.

Assessment, recording and reporting

Continuous assessment takes place in the form of teacher observations, observing, listening

and talking to pupils, asking questions and marking work in addition to end of unit assessments. Teachers analyse pupils’ progress in the unitsof work they have completed at the end of each school year to complete the annual report to parents. This report takes the form of a summary of the teachers’ observations and continued assessment of the pupils at work thus giving parents a view of what their children know, understand and can do. Assessment of Sc1 relieson observation and/or the collection of written evidence of investigative skills.

Continuity and progression

The school ensures curriculum continuity by following the two-year rolling program of science units of work ( see appendix 1) where the areas of study are revisited in more depth as the children progress through the school. For example Y3 study light and shadows and Y5 use this knowledge as a basis to build on in Earth, sun and moon. There is also close liaison between staff at the planning stages.

Inclusion/ SEN / A, G & T

Planning at all levels ensures that the interests of boys and girls are taken into account, as well as cateringfor the range of abilities within the class. The pupils work individually, in pairs, as part of a small group andas a whole class each term. They use a variety of means for communicating and recording their work. Allpupils, including those with special educational needs, undertake the full range of activities. Children that aregifted or talented in Science are given extension work to challenge their thinking and understanding evenfurther. Teacher assessment determines the depth to which individuals and groups go during each unit ofwork.

Science across the curriculum

Science is concerned with making sense of the world. There are many links with other areas of the curriculum. These links are taken into account wherever appropriate and planned within each year group. The teaching of literacy, numeracy and ICT is promoted strongly in science. Science is used to extend and enable the pupils to practice the skills of language and literacy through speaking and listening alongside written skills and numeracy through the understanding of measurement and data handling. ICT is used to enhance learning and the use of graph software, data logging and musical composition allow the children to access the curriculum in different ways.

Thinking Skills

The teaching of science provides numerous opportunities for the development of higher order thinking skills. Scientific enquiry demands a range of different types of thinking and processes that can be developed through thoughtful questioning. Questions for thinking may be included in science plans and can be further developed by the teacher.

Personal, social and health education

Health education is taught as part of the units on ourselves, health and growing, teeth and eating, moving andgrowing, keeping healthy and life cycles.

ECM

Every Child Matters at Broomfields Junior School therefore through the teaching of Science we encourage children to:-

Be healthy - by learning about looking after the body by eating healthily, being hygienic and through exercise.

Stay safe - by learning how to use equipment safely.

Enjoy and achieve - through participating in practical and exciting lessons.

Make a positive contribution - through lesson participation and working with others.

Achieve economic well-being – by developing skills for life.

Health & Safety

Practical Science work can involve using a variety of materials, processes and

equipment, which may be potentially dangerous. Staff must be alert to possible

hazards to ensure the safety of children as far as possible through careful

organisation and close attention to the correct use of materials and equipment. A risk

assessment of safety issues is considered throughout each topic and lesson by the class teacher.

Resources

  1. Are stored in the centre mobile bay area in topic boxes, science cupboard and under the curtain area.
  2. Resources are clearly labeled.
  3. Videos/posters/bulkier items are contained in the cupboard or under the curtain in the bay area.
  4. A book is available for breakages and resource requests.
  5. All staff have a copy of an inventory of resources which is updated regularly.

Appendix 1

OVERVIEW OF THE SCIENCE CURRICULUM

Year / Term 1 / Term 2 / Term 3
3 / 3A Teeth and eating
3F Light and shadow / 3C Characteristics ofmaterials
3E Magnets and
springs / 3B Helping plants growwell
3D Rocks and soils
4 / 4D Solids, liquids and how they can beseparated
4A Moving and growing / 4E Friction
4C Keeping warm / 4B Habitats
4F Circuits and
conductors
5 / 5E Earth, sun and
moon / 5F Changing sounds
5C Gases around us
5D Changing state / 5A Keeping healthy
5B Life cycles
6 / 6BMicro-organisms
(Exercise and Diet)
6EForces in Action
6C More about
dissolving / 6G Changing circuits
6D Reversible and
irreversible changes / 6A Interdependence
and adaptation
(Life cycles and Reproduction – discrete focus)