At Instow Community Primary School and Pre-School, our aim is to provide a stimulating and engaging Science curriculum that encourages children to develop a love of Science and a deep understanding of scientific concepts. Our Science curriculum is designed to develop children’s scientific knowledge, understanding and skills progressively, as they move through the school. The following progression statement outlines the key end points for each year group.

Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS)

By the end of EYFS, children will have:

• Explored and experimented with a range of materials, tools and techniques

• Developed an understanding of the natural world, observing and exploring living things and their habitats

• Developed a sense of curiosity and interest in Science through exploration and play

Key Stage 1 (KS1) - Years 1 and 2

By the end of KS1, children will have:

• Developed an understanding of the basic principles of Science

• Developed their scientific knowledge and vocabulary, using it to describe and explain observations • Conducted simple investigations, making predictions and drawing conclusions based on their findings

• Identified and compared the basic features of plants and animals

• Explored the properties of everyday materials and how they can be changed

• Recognised that some materials can be recycled and explored ways of conserving the natural environment

Lower Key Stage 2 (LKS2) - Years 3 and 4

By the end of LKS2, children will have:

• Developed a deeper understanding of scientific concepts and principles

• Investigated scientific questions using a range of methods and equipment

• Observed and identified changes in a variety of materials

• Identified and classified living things, including microorganisms

• Explored the relationship between living things and their environment

• Identified and described the basic parts of the human digestive system and the circulatory system

• Conducted simple electrical circuits

Upper Key Stage 2 (UKS2) - Years 5 and 6

By the end of UKS2, children will have:

• Developed a secure knowledge and understanding of scientific concepts and principles

• Conducted more complex investigations and evaluated the reliability of results

• Recognised and described the function of different parts of plants and animals

• Explored the water cycle and the impact of humans on the environment

• Identified and described different forms of energy, including renewable and nonrenewable sources

• Recognised and described the basic principles of forces, including gravity and friction

• Developed an understanding of the Earth, Sun and Moon and the seasons

At Instow Community Primary School and Pre-School, we recognise the importance of Science in our everyday lives and strive to inspire a love of Science in all our pupils, helping them to become confident, curious and scientifically literate members of society

Intent

At Instow School, our intent is to provide a rich, inclusive science curriculum that nurtures children’s natural curiosity and develops their understanding of the world around them. We aim to create an environment where all pupils feel part of a scientific community, engaged in exploring, questioning, and investigating scientific ideas with confidence and enthusiasm.

We want children to recognise the value of science both across the curriculum and in everyday life. Through practical, hands-on experiences and meaningful enquiry, pupils are encouraged to test their ideas, share their thinking, and build on one another’s explanations. This supports them in developing a deeper, more connected understanding of scientific concepts.

Our curriculum is designed to build progressively on prior learning, enabling children to make rich links between scientific concepts and to appreciate the impact of science on our lives, our environment, and our future.

At Instow School, we aim to ensure that all pupils:

• Develop secure scientific knowledge and conceptual understanding across the disciplines of biology, chemistry, and physics.
• Understand the nature, processes, and methods of science through a range of enquiry types, allowing them to ask questions, make predictions, carry out investigations, and draw conclusions.
• Become equipped with the scientific skills and knowledge needed to understand the uses and implications of science today and in the future.

Our intent is to develop confident, reflective, and inquisitive learners who see themselves as scientists—able to apply their understanding, think critically, and explore the world with curiosity and purpose.

Implementation

As a core subject the science curriculum is taught weekly in each class. In Class one the children are taught through the key area of learning set out within the EYFS statutory framework. Through a broad range of teacher-led, child-initiated and continuous learning opportunities , children will be taught to :

• Use their senses to investigate a range of objects and materials

• Find out about, identify and observe the different features of living things, objects and worldly events

• Look closely at similarities, differences, patterns and change

• Ask questions about why things happen and why things work

• Develop their communication and co-operation skills

• Talk about their findings, sometimes record them

• Identify and find out about the features of the place they live and in the natural world around them

Science is taught every week for 2 hours with additional sessions being taught where and when possible. Science is taught in planned units on a rolling programme. This is a strategy to enable the achievement of a greater depth of knowledge as we revisit units throughout the child’s learning journey. Through our planning we involve problem-solving opportunities that allow children to find out for themselves. Children are encouraged to ask their own questions and are given opportunities to use their scientific skills and research to discover the answers. We are committed to practical, explorative, and investigative learning and believe in a hands-on approach where children can learn by doing it for themselves. Lessons build on prior learning and retrieval practice is used each lesson to ensure that the children remember more. We make the most of our environment and try to use the school grounds, garden and local area for our science lessons whenever possible. All children have at least 6 Forest School sessions a year, so some science content is also covered in these sessions. We invite visitors to our school so that children can see science in action, and its uses in real life and the careers it can lead to. In recent years, this has included welcoming STEM ambassadors into lead sessions, talks from dentists, a flight session with birds of prey and an inflatable planetarium. We use our school trips to inspire children in science. RHS Rosemoor is used regularly, as well as local colleges who run large-scale STEM events. In upper key stage 2, the children visit the science museum at Bristol, the Aerospace museum and the zoo for educational workshops.

Progression: At Instow we encourage children to be inquisitive. Our science curriculum fosters a healthy curiosity in children about the universe. We know that science encompasses the acquisition of knowledge, concepts, skills and positive attitudes. Throughout the programmes of study, the children will acquire and develop the key knowledge that has been identified within each unit and across each class. Key skills are also mapped and are progressive throughout the school. These ensure systematic progression to identifying end points which are in accordance with the expectations of the National Curriculum. More information can be found in our progression document and statements.

Resources: As a small school, we struggle with storage and are lucky to be able to borrow equipment from the Bideford College lab on loan scheme. We have a small amount of our own science equipment which is available for teachers to use. Science books are requested termly from the library service so that children have access to high-quality science books to engage with. We also have a class set of i-pads that can be used in science lessons. Explorify, Purple Mash and the Seesaw learning platform are all used to support our science curriculum.

Impact

Assessment: The purpose of assessment in science is to monitor the learner’s understanding of the scientific language, concepts and skills and to see how they apply them in their learning. Teachers need accurate information about what the children know so that they can support them in their progression. Assessment is based upon a wide range of evidence, which includes formative assessment in the class where children receive verbal feedback on how to progress. Targeted assessment questions may be used within a unit to inform planning and the PLAN or TAPs assessments check for progress at the end of a unit. Outcomes The science approach at our school results in a fun, engaging, quality science education that provides children with the foundations and knowledge for understanding the world. Children will know more, remember more and understand more about the science curriculum. Children retain prior learning and explicitly make connections between prior knowledge and what they are currently learning. All children will have:

• A wider variety of skills linked to both scientific knowledge and understanding, and scientific enquiry/investigative skills

• A richer vocabulary which will enable them to articulate their understanding of taught concepts

• Confidence and a love of learning for all things science