Science at Eastway
Science Intent
At Eastway, we aim for our science curriculum to be:
- Well Designed and Delivered, fulfilling the requirements of the National Curriculum. We Lay the foundations needed for successful learning through the robust delivery of our Easter Matters Early Years Curriculum which is tailored to pupil's needs
- Knowledge-Rich so that children build deep scientific knowledge that they return to and build upon as they move through school
- Closing the Gap: we carefully check children have the prior learning they need to be successful in a lesson and take action to support them fill any gaps they may have. We also check how well they are acquiring new knowledge in the lesson to adapt the lesson to their needs and provide additional support or challenge for children who need so that all children achieve our ambitious learning focus.
- Develop the skills of working scientifically and use this to apply the knowledge they have learned in meaningful investigations
- Bring Learning to Life as children have real-life experiences of science in their world
- Develop children as active, independent learners who are Ready, Respectful, Responsible
- Love learning about science!
Science Implementation at Eastway
To achieve these aims, we have carefully mapped out exactly what children learn in each year group, the summary of this is shown below:
More importantly, we have mapped out exactly what knowledge will be covered in each year group so that children can recall what they have already learned and build upon it. This helps your child change their long term memory of key ideas in science as ideas are regularly returned to and deepened.
Our progression of knowledge maps children's learning all the way from EYFS to KS3 so that we can be confident we are preparing your child well for the knowledge they will need when they go to secondary school.
It is also important that your child develops their scientific vocabulary and working scienfitically skiils, so we have also mapped these out so your child makes progress in these areas each year too.
Your child's class teacher then plans their science unit, carefully checking that your child has retained what they have learned previously and then builds upon this knowledge with new learning. Once your child has mastered the new knowledge, they will then apply this in scientific investigations.
We will send a copy of this knowledge overview home and will also upload it to your child's class webpage so that you know what they are learning in school each half term.
Teachers use resources from the Kent Ed scheme of work which provides quality resources for your child.
The typical structure for a science lesson at Eastway is:
● Prior learning check (with planned activity for those who cannot recall
information)
● Activities to evoke explorative learning and enquiry
● Formative assessment used to adapt lesson (for whole class or groups)
● Activities to show what they have learned
● Prior learning check (with planned activity for those who cannot recall
information)
● Activities to evoke explorative learning and enquiry
● Formative assessment used to adapt lesson (for whole class or groups)
● Activities to show what they have learned
In these lessons, you should see:
● Quality resources to support Scientific Enquiry and Core Knowledge
● Explicit links being made between previous and new learning (e.g. in Year 3
when we learned about rocks… In Year 6 how does that link to evolution?)
● Children referring back to previous learning in their Science book
● Scientific vocabulary taught and used correctly by children (this
may be displayed on a working wall or knowledge overview)
● Children completing relevant parts of knowledge overview as part of the
lesson
● Children sitting in mixed attainment groups to share knowledge and vocabulary
● Quality learning outside the classroom opportunities linked to Science enquiry in school and on educational visits
● Working scientifically skills explicitly taught once children have a good knowledge of the unit content
● Opportunities to ask and research questions
● Adaptations to the lesson that responds to children's needs, either giving support if htey are struggling or additonal challenge if they are ready for it.
● Lots of practical exploration/investigation maybe recorded with pictures, labels,
QR codes. The teacher/child should include what the child has learned.
Impact
To check your child has learned what we have intended them to, we set short tasks within lessons to see how much your child has understood and adapt our lessons from their to meet their needs.
To get a picture of what your child is retaining over time, we use the prior learning checks at the beginning of each lesson, complete quizzes at the end of each week, look at the work they have completed in their books and end of unit assessments. These reviews of learning are completed by their class teacher, Mrs Brown our science lead and our SLT (Mrs Morris and Miss Coverdale).
We will let you know how your child is getting on in science in their report and will give you opportunities to see their work in books throughout the year. If you would like any further information, please contact your child's class teacher or contact the school office.
