Intent
At Dallington, it is our intention to provide a high quality science education that provides all children with the foundations they need to recognise the importance of Science in every aspect of daily life. We want our children to love science. We want them to have no limits to what their ambitions are and grow up wanting to be astronauts, forensic scientists, toxicologists or microbiologists. We want our children to remember their science lessons in our school, to cherish these memories and embrace the scientific opportunities they are presented with! To achieve this, it involves exciting, practical hands on experiences that encourage curiosity and questioning. Our aim is that these stimulating and challenging experiences help every child secure and extend their scientific knowledge and vocabulary, as well as promoting a love and thirst for learning. We give the teaching and learning of Science high prominence and create wonder and wow moments around relevant content to inspire all children to be lifetime learners, who are prepared for opportunities, responsibilities and experience of later life.
Implementation
In order to create wow and wonder, teach scientific skills and inspire curious minds, the teaching of science will be taught through practical investigations or through drama, wherever possible. This will develop children’s resilience and develop specific practical skills. The science curriculum will be taught through a range of activities. Teachers will select the most appropriate activity for each area of learning.
Rich scientific language will be taught explicitly at the beginning of each topic. Key vocabulary will be visible within the classroom environment, children’s science books and be reinforced through word games and story books especially in KS1.
Being a good science learner is not about being the one who can write the best but who can ask questions, make links with what they are experiencing and what they already understand, someone who is keen to find out more and someone who understands that there can be more than one explanation for something. Children will be taught a variety of ways to record their findings, using models, templates and pictures.
Science is intertwined closely with lots of other subjects, such as Maths, DT and Geography. The teaching of science will utilise these natural links and reinforce and apply different concepts. Scientific skills and knowledge can be taught through lots of different subjects to ensure children’s learning is meaningful and in context. Science will also be promoted through enrichment days, such as ‘science week’, where children will be able to explore a wide range of scientific topics.
Impact
The successful approach to teaching science at Dallington results in a fun, engaging, high quality science education, that provides children with the foundations for understanding the world we live in and being confident and inquisitive enough to further question their knowledge.