Intent:

Our science curriculum at Rectory Farm Primary School is aspirational, inclusive and ignites curiosity. It is knowledge rich, providing the foundations for understanding the world and developing a sense of excitement and curiosity about natural phenomena. As learners move through the curriculum, they will be increasingly encouraged to develop their curiosity, provide insight into working scientifically and appreciate the value of science in their everyday lives

It is our intention that through our Science curriculum, learners will:

• acquire a broad range of scientific knowledge, consolidated through practical scientific enquiry and enrichment.
• Learn how science affects their everyday lives and develop a sense of responsibility for the world today and in the future.
• Make meaningful connections in their learning between subjects and the wider world, understanding how skills in other subjects can support learning in science.
• See themselves as scientists and understand the role of a science in our society.
• Use the scientific knowledge that they acquire (both substantive and disciplinary) during their primary phase to influence and guide their choices in the future.
• Have the necessary knowledge and skill set to confidently access the secondary curriculum and beyond.

Implementation:

At Rectory Farm, we teach an ambitious, high-quality science curriculum which is carefully constructed to ensure children develop a solid understanding of scientific concepts and knowledge.

Science is taught through six high-dividend concepts:

1. Energy,
2. Forces,
3. Matter,
4. Earth and Space,
5. Life and
6. Evolution

• Our curriculum ensures progression of substantive and disciplinary knowledge, building sequentially on prior knowledge in small steps, and incorporates explicit horizontal links across a year group, vertical links where knowledge and understanding are built upon from previous units and diagonal links across the wider
• Content is taught and sequenced in such a way that it is taught to be remembered and not just encountered.
• Disciplinary knowledge is an important aspect of our science curriculum. Our aim is for children to understand what it is to be and think like a scientist. We teach these skills through our progressive child-friendly ‘Einstein's’ (see example below). These skills are developed and applied through practical scientific experiences.

• Within our Science curriculum, vocabulary is explicitly taught, and children are given the opportunity to apply this through exploratory talk in pairs, trios and whole class. Oracy opportunities are planned for and allow children to talk through their understanding and for teachers to check this understanding before learning moves on.
• We enrich our Science curriculum through: rich, ambitious reading material, establishing cross-curricular links, providing regular experiences, and offering opportunities for children to learn outdoors where appropriate.