Science
Bonneville Primary School greatly understands the need for all pupils to develop their Scientific ability as an essential component of all subjects and as a subject in its own right. A good understanding of scientific knowledge and conceptual understanding helps to support pupils work across the curriculum, as well as enlighten their interactions with the world around them, act as a gateway to increase their own cultural capital and access all possibilities life has to offer.
Science Aims
At Bonneville Primary School Science is a body of knowledge built up through questioning, problem solving, investigations and the testing of ideas. Science is also a practical way of finding reliable answers to questions we may ask about the world around us. Science in our school is about developing children’s ideas and ways of working that enable them to make sense of the world in which they live. This is achieved through conducting different types of enquiry, using and applying Working Scientifically skills and communicating themselves clearly through the embedding and application of high level vocabulary.
Our teaching and learning
Science teaching at Bonneville Primary School involves an investigative led approach and includes careful questioning, the revisiting and drip feeding of key vocabulary in the context of different scientific concepts, and opportunities to learn and discover through exploration. Children will learn about six different scientists across every year of their primary school education to increase their cultural capital and expose them to the myriad of possibilities STEM subjects offer for later life. We acknowledge the paramount importance of adapting and extending our bespoke curriculum to match all pupils’ needs. Where possible, Science will be linked to class topics to ensure knowledge and understanding of the world is applied across a range of contexts and embedded in the long term memory through interleaving opportunities for application. Science will also be taught as discrete units and lessons where needed to ensure coverage. Throughout the year we have school trips and exciting visitors to stretch the learning experiences and broaden their understanding of possibilities through science within all year groups. We also identify gifted and talented pupils who are provided with extra challenges including trips to other schools within our cluster.
School priorities
- Embedding of scientific vocabulary on IWB slides and displayed on working walls to ensure high level vocabulary is understood, revisited, accessible and utilised by the children at all times during a lesson
- Embedding of Core Concepts within every science lesson; revisited and displayed on working walls in classrooms and in Science Lab
- Links with secondary schools to be formalised to share best practice and ensure that pupils are able to transition well
- Ensure ‘hook’ lesson is clearly evidenced within books for each topic
- Secure the possibilities driver and diverse curriculum through the teaching and learning of a variety of Scientists ‘Representation Matters’
- Prior learning in Science will be made explicit so that children can articulate clearly how their learning links together throughout the school years.