Science

"Many people saw the apple fall, but Newton asked why."

Intent- Why is Science so important?

At Arkwright Primary School we believe that Science is an essential part of a broad and balanced curriculum.

We aim to:

Deliver an engaging curriculum which inspires our learners to be passionate about science
Develop scientific knowledge and conceptual understanding through the specific disciplines of biology, chemistry and physics
Develop understanding of the nature, processes and methods of science through different types of science enquiries that help our children to answer scientific questions about the world around them
Ensure that children are equipped with the scientific knowledge required to understand the uses and implications of science, today and for the future.
Plan & teach Science lessons linked to the National Curriculum that produce authentic outcomes and purposeful learning
Provide opportunities for scientific learning to be applied throughout the curriculum
Develop the concepts of our 10 Big Ideas through science.

Implementation- How do we plan, teach and assess Science?

We plan our Science using Cornerstones Curriculum Maestro platform. Our science projects are well sequenced to provide a coherent subject scheme that develops our children’s science knowledge, skills and subject disciplines.

Science programmes of study in the national curriculum are assigned to year groups. In the Cornerstones Curriculum, the names of the science projects are matched to the national curriculum aspects, for example, Living things and their habitats and Earth and space. However, in Key Stage 1, the aspect of Animals, including humans has been separated so that children study humans before expanding to explore animals.

The science projects are sequenced to develop both children’s substantive and declarative knowledge, and if possible, make meaningful links to other projects. For example, in Year 3, the projects Plant Nutrition and Reproduction and Light and Shadows are taught alongside the design and technology project Greenhouse and the art and design project Beautiful Botanicals. These links allow for children to embed their substantive knowledge in new and often real-life contexts.

The sequencing of projects ensures that children have the substantive knowledge and vocabulary to comprehend subsequent projects fully.

We assess Science at Arkwright by using Assessment for Learning (AfL) every lesson we mark at ‘taught’ and write notes about how children have got on with their learning. At the end of each topic the children take part in short assessments and quizzes.

EYFS

The science curriculum begins as soon as the children start school in the EYFS. Learning in science links to the EYFS Statutory Educational Programme: Understanding the world. The activities and enhanced provision in our early years curriculum guide children to make sense of their physical world. They build essential knowledge and understanding that they will apply in science in KS1. Projects such as Exploring Autumn, Winter Wonderland and Signs of Spring support children to explore and understand seasonal changes in the natural world around them.

Key Stage One (Year 1/2)

Cycle A	Term 1
	Year 1- Everyday Materials	This project teaches children that objects are made from materials. They identify a range of everyday materials and their sources. Children investigate the properties of materials and begin to recognise that a material's properties define its use.
	Year 1- Human Senses	This project teaches children that humans are a type of animal known as a mammal. They name and count body parts and identify similarities and differences. They learn about the senses, the body parts associated with each sense and their role in keeping us safe.
	Term 2
	Year 1- Seasonal Changes	This project teaches children about the seasons, seasonal changes and typical seasonal weather and events. They learn about measuring the weather and the role of a meteorologist. Children begin to learn about the science of day and night and recognise that the seasons have varying day lengths in the UK.
	Term 3
	Year 1- Plant Parts	This project teaches children about wild and garden plants by exploring the local environment. They identify and describe the basic parts of plants and observe how they change over time.
	Year 1- Animal Parts	This project teaches children about animals, including fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds, mammals and invertebrates. They identify and describe their common structures, diets, and how animals should be cared for
Cycle B	Term 1
	Year 2- Human Survival	This project teaches children about the basic needs of humans for survival, including the importance of exercise, nutrition and good hygiene. They learn how human offspring grow and change over time into adulthood.
	Year 2- Habitats	This project teaches children about habitats and what a habitat needs to provide. They explore local habitats to identify and name living things and begin to understand how they depend on one another for food and shelter.
	Term 2
	Year 2- Uses of Materials	This project teaches children about the uses of everyday materials and how materials' properties make them suitable or unsuitable for specific purposes. They begin to explore how materials can be changed.
	Year 2- Plant Survival	This project teaches children about the growth of plants from seeds and bulbs. They observe the growth of plants first-hand, recording changes over time and identifying what plants need to grow and stay healthy.
	Term 3
	Year 2- Animal Survival	This project teaches children about growth in animals by exploring the life cycles of some familiar animals. They build on learning about the survival of humans by identifying the basic needs of animals for survival, including food, water, air and shelter.

Key Stage Two (Year 3/4)

Cycle A	Term 1
	Year 3- Animal Nutrition and the Skeletal System	This project teaches children about the importance of nutrition for humans and other animals. They learn about the role of a skeleton and muscles and identify animals with different types of skeleton.
	Term 2
	Year 3-Forces and Magnets	This project teaches children about contact and non-contact forces, including friction and magnetism. They investigate frictional and magnetic forces, and identify parts of a magnet and magnetic materials.
	Term 3
	Year-3 - Plant Nutrition and Reproduction	This project teaches children about the requirements of plants for growth and survival. They describe the parts of flowering plants and relate structure to function, including the roots and stem for transporting water, leaves for making food and the flower for reproduction.
	Year 3-Light and Shadows	This project teaches children about light and dark. They investigate the phenomena of reflections and shadows, looking for patterns in collected data. The risks associated with the Sun are also explored.
Cycle B	Term 1
	Year 4-Food and the Digestive System	This project teaches children about the human digestive system. They explore the main parts, starting with the mouth and teeth, identifying teeth types and their functions. They link this learning to animals' diets and construct food chains to show the flow of energy.
	Year 4- Sound	This project teaches children about sound, how sound is made and how sound travels as vibrations through a medium to the ear. They learn about pitch and volume and find out how both can be changed.
	Term 2
	Year 4- States of Matter	This project teaches children about solids, liquids and gases and their characteristic properties. They observe how materials change state as they are heated and cooled, and learn key terminology associated with these processes.
	Year 4- Grouping and Classifying	This project teaches children about grouping living things, known as classification. They study the animal and plant kingdoms and use and create classification keys to identify living things.
	Term 3
	Year 4- Electrical Circuits and Conductors	This project teaches children about electrical appliances and safety. They construct simple series circuits and name their parts and functions, including switches, wires and cells. They investigate electrical conductors and insulators and identify common features of conductors. It also teaches children about programmable devices. They combine their learning to design and make a nightlight.

Key Stage Two (Year 5/6)

Cycle A	Term 1
	Year 5-Forces and Mechanisms	This project teaches children about the forces of gravity, air resistance, water resistance and friction, with children exploring their effects. They learn about mechanisms, their uses and how they allow a smaller effort to have a greater effect.
	Year 5- Earth and Space	This project teaches children about our Solar System and its spherical celestial bodies. They describe the movements of the Earth and the other planets relative to the Sun, the Moon relative to Earth, and the Earth's rotation to explain day and night.
	Term 2
	Year 5- Human Reproduction and Ageing	This project teaches children about animal life cycles, including the human life cycle. They explore human growth and development to old age, including the changes experienced during puberty and human reproduction.
	Term 3
	Year 5 - Properties and Changes of Material	This project teaches children about the wider properties of materials and their uses. They learn about mixtures and how they can be separated using sieving, filtration and evaporation. They study reversible and irreversible changes, and use common indicators to identify irreversible changes.
Cycle B	Term 1
	Year 6- Circulatory System	This project teaches children about the transport role of the human circulatory system, its main parts and primary functions. They learn about healthy lifestyle choices and the effects of harmful substances on the body.
	Term 2
	Year 6- Electrical Circuits and Components	This project teaches children about electrical circuits, their components and how they function. They recognise how the voltage of cells affects the output of a circuit and record circuits using standard symbols. It also teaches children about programmable devices, sensors and monitoring. They combine their learning to design and make programmable home devices.
	Term 3
	Year 6- Light Theory	This project teaches children about the way that light behaves, travelling in straight lines from a source or reflector, into the eye. They explore how we see light and colours, and phenomena associated with light, including shadows, reflections and refraction.
	Year 6- Evolution and Inheritance	This project teaches children how living things on Earth have changed over time and how fossils provide evidence for this. They learn how characteristics are passed from parents to their offspring and how variation in offspring can affect their survival, with changes (adaptations) possibly leading to the evolution of a species.