Science
Intent
Language acquisition is the foundation of thinking and learning. Reading, vocabulary development and phonics – alongside opportunities which give real life experiences – are at the heart of our science curriculum intent. We have planned a coherent knowledge-rich curriculum, which is progressive in knowledge, skills and vocabulary. All key drivers, including interconnections and metacognitive strategies, are well considered, in order for children to be successful on their learning journey.
The intent of our curriculum is our ambition for children’s learning, which is detailed within the structure and sequence of our curriculum map. To realise this vision, and ensure the implementation is rigorous and robust, we use current methodologies and applications to ensure a formative analysis of progression that ensures that the intent is implemented to develop cultural capital, diversity and global citizenship, in turn ensuring our children become well-rounded citizens who will make a positive contribution to the world in which they live.
In line with our School Development Plan, we have identified four key themes to catalyse the improvement of our curriculum. These themes are Reading, Enquiry, Ambition and Diversity.
At Oldfield Brow we want our children to be naturally curious about the world around them. Our curriculum has been developed by to ensure full coverage of the National Curriculum and to foster a sense of wonder about the world around them, through a stimulating, engaging and challenging learning environment and robust subject matter. Throughout our school children are encouraged to develop and use a range of working scientifically skills including questioning, researching and observing for ourselves. We promote and celebrate these skills. We want our children to have a broad vocabulary. Scientific language is to be taught and built upon as topics are revisited in different year groups and across key stages. We intend to provide all children regardless of ethnic origin, gender, class, aptitude or disability with a broad and balanced science curriculum.
Within our school, the need to develop scientific literacy in our children is the foundation to understanding the world around us. Scientific literacy is the basis to which an individual develops scientific knowledge and understands its use and purpose. It allows an understanding of the scientific process and makes it possible to apply evidence-based knowledge across a broad range of issues that require individual and collective action, such as responding to COVID-19 and climate change, or understanding AI, machine learning and other new technologies.
Within our school we aim to develop scientific literacy by adopting an investigative approach to teaching and learning where students are provided with opportunities to investigate a problem, search for possible solutions, make observations, ask questions, test out ideas, and think creatively and use their intuition. This involves the children doing science where they have opportunities to explore possible solutions, develop explanations for the phenomena under investigation, elaborate on concepts and processes, and evaluate or assess their understandings in the light of available evidence.
We intend for the children to have personal experiences of finding out about and of making connections between new and previous experiences that not only bring excitement and satisfaction but also the realisation that they can add to their knowledge through active inquiry. Both the process and product of scientific activity can evoke a positive emotional response that motivates further learning.
We want the children to have the ability to innovate as we have the potential to prosper in this modern age of innovation requires the capacity to grasp the essentials of diverse problems, to recognise meaningful patterns, to retrieve and apply relevant knowledge.
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