Subject Intent:

Our science curriculum aims to increase children’s knowledge and understanding of the diverse world they live in and the history of how it has reached its current point. Key enquiry skills are progressive and support increasing independence as children grow in age and confidence. We make relevant links between subjects and the real world, taking into consideration the school’s context, with the ultimate, ambitious and inclusive goal of raising allFront Street children’s future aspirations. Our children are resilient learners. They are taught to have a growth mindset, think critically and their curiosity is stimulated. They build essential cultural capital and by the time they leave our school, they are ready for future learning.

Our whole-school curriculum drivers are promoted through science lessons:

Our Curriculum Drivers:	The finer detail linked to science…
Ambitious	Our curriculum is ever changing so it reflects on the current context of the school and the needs of the children. We are open minded, embrace new ideas and never put a lid on learning. Children become familiar with science careers and aspire to gain skills that will support them in possible future roles.
Progressive	Our science curriculum is coherent and progressive. Children make progress from their starting point from which they build on existing knowledge, skills and vocabulary. Teachers monitor learning over time and use responsive teaching and repetition to help learning stick.
Independent	We aspire for our children to become curious, critical thinkers. Children learn to tackle science independently. They understand that in science, a certain amount of questioning, exploring and investigating is necessary to find out answers.  Children can and will work with others, but do not become reliant upon them.
Inclusive	We have high aspirations for all. We believe all children can achieve and succeed in science. Everyone CAN do science and we support them in relevant ways to do so. Equity for all through a carefully crafted and cohesive curriculum.
Relevant	Children learn that science is all around us. We adapt and enrich the curriculum to reflect on real life, our locality and current events.
Resilience	Our children have a growth mindset in science: they believe in their ability to ‘work scientifically’ and build scientific knowledge. Our children answer scientific questions and do not give up. Their growth mindset enables them to persevere.
Ready	Our children are taught about metacognition and are increasingly more aware of how they learn. They are alert and ready to share thinking and reasoning.

Implementation:

We teach the National Curriculum (NC) for science set against appropriate challenge. In KS1 and KS2, lessons are introduced through a ‘Big Question’ that is directly linked to NC knowledge and concept objectives. Teachers plan lessons around this question, whilst also developing working scientifically skills. At Front Street, we have divided the working scientifically skills from the NC into five core strands to help the children digest the skills they are applying: 

• Find Out and Explain 
• Classify 
• Plan and Carry Out 
• Observe, Measure, Record 
• Notice and Interpret 

Children’s working scientifically skills and knowledge combined support them to perform different types of science enquiries and answer scientific questions about the world around them. 

EYFS deliver science through all 7 Early Learning areas. They build a firm foundation of science vocabulary, knowledge and skills that are meaningful and relevant to young children working towards the year 1 curriculum.

Teachers check pupils’ understanding and correct misunderstandings. Children are supported to remember key knowledge and concepts and store them in their long-term memories through regular opportunities to recap previous learning.

Impact:

The extent to which we have achieved our curriculum intent and implementation can be seen in many ways. We triangulate our monitoring where possible to view the bigger picture. Books, lesson observations, learning walks, pupil and staff voice are all examples of how we monitor the impact of our curriculum. Ultimately, our children leave Front Street prepared for the next stage of education, with a love of science and the belief that they CAN achieve and succeed in science.

Inclusion and Equal Opportunities:

Our science curriculum is fully inclusive. We support ranging needs and celebrate cultural diversity. We believe all children can access the science curriculum and make reasonable adjustments to suit individual needs: 

• Lesson content is delivered in small steps 
• We allow time to revisit, review and retrieve information 
• We use questions carefully and to a wide number of pupils 
• Models, worked examples, scaffolds and floor books are used as necessary 
• We support children to build connections between new and known knowledge and show where learning fits within the bigger picture 
• We promote the growth mindset model where children are encouraged to keep going even if it is difficult.

Where there are cases when pupils are working significantly below their year group content, such pupils will be given a bespoke curriculum, based upon their needs (as identified on their learning plan or EHCP). We work in compliance with the Equality Act 2010 and the Special Educational Needs and Disability Regulations 2014 to ensure our curriculum is accessible for pupils with SEND.

Here, you can find our most recent Science Policy that will tell you more about the subject and how it is taught, monitored and assessed across school.

Science Documents

Science Documents	Download
Overview of the science topics we teach at Front Street	Download
Science National Curriculum Programme of Study	Download
SCIENCE COVERAGE	Download
Science Essential knowledge-skills	Download
Progression in working scientifically	Download
All yr groups on one page skill progression 2024	Download