What is our vision? The 4E’s of Science
Engage Plan and deliver, fun filled, exciting hands on science lessons.
Explore Give children every opportunity to independently develop skills.
Evaluate Support children to think critically. Excel Develop children’s scientific skills and knowledge and make good progress. .
How do we value science? Year 1 Year 3
Year 2
Each class has an area to celebrate children's achievements in science. They have their name or picture put on display and they receive a certificate. This impacts on the children's engagement (POS) as they strive to do their best hoping to be the star scientist .
Year 4 Year 6
Year 5
How do we value science?
Year 5 Science suggestion requested more investigations and reading books. Planning illustrates investigations work and every class has a science book box.
Reception Understanding the World shows how reception children learn about science through exploring the environment and looking for living things.
Year 1 Children taking learning from inside the classroom to the outside by exploring school grounds for different types of plants and other living things.
Year 3 Learning about animals and adaptations, children explore the function of teeth and how much they need to value having teeth. Making models of their own teeth.
How do we engage our children?
Year 1 Set up an interactive display board for children to explore changes. Children are encourages to add to the board and given time with TA’s to have discussions, this is also used as AF.
Year 5 Children working collaboratively to explore similarities and differences between animals and humans. Post it activities engage children as it is generally a quick warm up activity.
Year 2 Using stethoscopes to explore the sound and rhythm of the heart, this is an alternative way to the usual method of checking pulses. It is more engaging as it has a real life context.
Year 3 Using a game to build knowledge and understanding of vocabulary and definitions.
Year 3 Consolidating learning through a school trip to the museum, at the time the class were learning about vertebrates and invertebrates. The trip impacted learning as children were able to observe skeletons at larger scale.
Year 6 Adapting a maths game used in school to explore odd one out by comparing animals. This game opens up opportunities to think along different themes and there not being a correct answer to get to.
Year 4 Use of concept cards allows children to work collaboratively to discuss different ideas. Through discussion children scaffold each others learning, helps then think from different points of view and supports critical thinking.
Year 6 Scientist from UEL delivering a science lesson, children given opportunity to talk about jobs involving science and sparking interest in careers within science.
How do we engage our children?
Reception Images illustrate how children learn about science through play, picture above shows children playing in the Mud Garden. Children explore textures of water and mud.
Year 5 Planning illustrates how children are given equipment to explore their own line of enquiry. Based on Earth and Beyond- children to do rein action of movement in the solar system.
Children observing eggs and exploring the source of where it comes from. Developing children's knowledge of animals and reproduction.
Exploring and discussing silly statements along w with statement which requires children to think of survival, encourages deeper thinking.
Year 1 Using story books to extend links to plants, engaging children to find it difficult in science, gives access to all to understand through viewing illustrations in books as well as teacher asking science based questions during reading. Planning illustrates how observation is changes into a hunting exercise so get children enthused support learning.
How do we explore an understand science?
Year 1 Carrying out investigations on items that float and sink. Allowing children to do practical investigation supports deeper understanding.
Year 4 Working together to explore concept of sound by observing how hearing and reaction to sounds are linked.
Year 2 While learning about animals and habitats children were given opportunity to handle real animals. Gave children to see, touch and feel animals physically than using images.
Year5 Making predictions, investigating and describing observations.
Year 3 Incorporating science into their maths lesson on measures. Exploring friction and calculating difference in measures.
Year 6 Exploring air resistance by building their own aeroplanes and competing to find the ‘furthest flyer’.
How do we support children to explore and understand science? Each year group has a science box and comprehension box which contains science related books. Children are encouraged to use these sources to deepen understand and widen knowledge of what they are learning about.
Reception Teachers set up a bag with soil, bugs and worms., for the children to hunt in the bag and make findings. The element of exploring and hunting gets children excited and more engaged. Learning through exploration and play develops children's verbal and collaborative skills.
Year 3 made fruit kebabs to test the function of the different types of teeth. Teachers provide interactive, practical and fun learning opportunities to completely engaging children which results in having an impact on learning.
Each year group has incorporated role play cards for investigation and experiments. This is an activity already implemented in guided reading so children are very aware of the importance of each role. Using these cards gives children value in the activity as well as gives them different themes to explore. They therefore learn the importance of different concepts in carrying out an enquiry. This further develops their social skills and understanding.
How does our planning and teaching incorporate the principles of science? Engage the class with a question or activity.
Probing questions to help children evaluate findings.
Year 1 & 2 Children are engaged through links to the class topic and characters from stories that they enjoy. Opportunities provided for children to explore and investigate through practical activities. Planning includes a range of questions to deepen children's understanding. Work shows how childrens knowledge has developed and applied to conclude and
Give opportunities to explore.
Excel within science.
How does our planning and teaching incorporate the principles of science? Year 3 & 4
Engage the class with a question or activity.
Probing questions to help children evaluate findings.
Children are engaged through ‘secret’ starters for children to reveal the correct answer at the beginning of lessons. Opportunities provided for children to explore and investigate linking to real life scenarios. Planning includes a range of questions to deepen children's understanding. We teach children how to evaluate. We use lead learners to share children’s success
Give opportunities to explore.
Excel within science.
How does our planning and teaching incorporate the principles of science? Year 5 & 6
Engage the class with a question or activity.
Probing questions to help children evaluate findings.
Children are engaged through exploring t concepts and learning science within different contexts.
Give opportunities to explore.
Opportunities provided for children to explore and investigate. Planning includes a range of questioned to deepen children's understanding. Work shows how children's knowledge has developed and applied to conclude and evaluate work.
Excel within science.
How does our planning and teaching incorporate the principles of science?
Year 1 When learning about living things, the teachers chose the book Under the Sea to teach literacy and in ICT the children made their own sea world using a software program.
Year 4 Used the theme of water to teach changes of state and incorporated it into geography by teaching rivers and coast lines.
Year 2 When learning about healthy living , the teacher chose The Papaya that Spoke as the literacy text and incorporated into art by making a healthy basket of treats.
Year 5 When learning about living things, the teachers chose to teach rivers and coasts to incorporate the water theme.
Year 3 When learning about light in science the teachers incorporated this into art by getting the children to make shadow puppets.
Year 6 When learning about living things, the teachers chose to the theme of hunters and gatherer during topic lessons..
How do we provide opportunities for children to think scientifically?
Top row: Year 1 Bottom row: Year 2 Children’s work illustrates the range of opportunities provided for children to carry out investigations, explore questions and concepts, evaluate findings. This also promotes the POS.
How do we provide opportunities for children to think scientifically? Year 3: Examples of children’s work and teachers slide to show children being given opportunity to think and work scientifically as well as evaluate findings.
Year 4: Examples of children’s work and images to show children being given opportunity to think and work scientifically as well as evaluate findings.
How do we provide opportunities for children to be independent; think and work scientifically?
Reception: providing opportunities for children to plant their own seed which is labelled with their name. This allows for children to take responsibility and ownership for the growth of their own plant. A more personal scientific opportunity. Year 4: incorporating open questions allows children to think scientifically as well as improve their reasoning by applying scientific knowledge.
Year 1: class teachers provide opportunities for children to work together to build vocabulary and assess existing scientific knowledge amongst children in their class.
Year 5: planning incorporates questions for children to think about the different ways things can occur.
Year 2: provide opportunities for children collaboratively/ independently explore scientific lines of enquiry so children can draw upon their own findings and draw conclusions. Teacher display key vocabulary so they can apply it within explanations.
Year 6: promoting independence by encouraging children to independently making detailed predictions and plan their own investigations.
How do we engage parents and carers? Curriculum newsletters inform the parents of what is being taught within science. They also illustrate how science is used as a topic theme. Letters are also available on the website to view.
Weekly newsletters inform the parents of science events, these examples show the amount of money raised during the British Heart Foundation science event, thanking parents for attending the science fair and promoting healthy eating.
How do we engage parents and carers? Each class has a selection of science based fiction/non fiction books, children are encourages to change books regularly and read a range of genres. Examples of homework from KS 1 & 2: this gives parents and carers opportunities to involve themselves with their child’s learning as well as develop their own science knowledge.
Science Fair: children are given responsibility of running their own workshop which encourages parents to support their child as well as observe learning in
other classes.
What are we doing beyond the school gates? Reception and Year 1 go on walks every half term around the local area and visit Palm House to view the changes in the animals and plants
The whole school took part in the A-Life workshop which helps children understand the dangers and effects of drugs, importance of hygiene and effects on the mind and body from playing computer games as well as other aspects of healthy living.
Ex- pupils who attend local secondary schools regularly participate and volunteer in running the year 3 & 4 Science Club.
Year 5 taking part in the Moon Project at Greig City Academy, a local secondary school.
In Spring Term 1 everybody taught science based on ‘Living Things’, to engage and launch the whole school approach all classes had the opportunity to take part in the animal handling workshop delivered by a n external company.
Year 5 & 6 further enhanced their learning about animals by going to central London to see how to care and maintain the Queen’s horses.
The whole school had a presentation delivered by a doctor and scientist on how their jobs entail science and how they change lives using science.
How do we provide opportunities for children to communicate, collaborate and investigate in science?
Examples of planning illustrate how teachers incorporate mixed ability activities and pair talk within teaching of science.
Images of reception, years 1,2,3 and 4 communicating and collaborating through conducting investigations and discussions.
How do we help children understand science in a real life context?
Reception : display on visiting the local supermarket to buy ingredients to make play dough, fruit salad and baking. Links made to changes and healthy eating.
Year 3/4: display on comparing human teeth and animal teeth. Making connections between types of teeth and functions.
Year 1: display on living things and exploring the life of a worm in its habitat.
Year 4: display on incorporating the unit on sound to making music using different objects and materials.
Year 2: display on toys in the past and present, looking at how technology has advanced and changed.
Year 6: Pupils learn about the work of scientists and their contribution to science.
Do all our children enjoy science?
Children spend their own time at home making projects based on the science unit they are learning about, this shows they are interested in science and we value their interest and excitement by sharing their work in assemblies.
This year 6 child came to share her magic game which turns liquid into jelly. She was asked to write an explanation oh how this happened which earnt her a certificate.
This display shows the Gardening Club hard at work, children show interest in registering to science clubs where they can extend their learning.
Questionnaires with children have been carried out, although a lot of children were positive I have recognised that EAL children find writing up investigations difficult and children are not full aware what the 4E’s mean, our next step is to ensure these points are covered.
