St StephensScience
Intent 
Our intent is to deliver the National Curriculum for science. At St Stephens, this high-quality science education provides the foundations for understanding the world through developing scientific knowledge and conceptual understanding through the specific disciplines of biology, chemistry and physics. All pupils at St Stephens are provided with the opportunity to learn the essential aspects of the knowledge, methods, processes and uses of science. Our overall intent is to maximise the development of every child’s ability and academic achievement.
Implementation
At St Stephens, the two year rolling program of the science curriculum is organised to ensure progression across key scientific areas as well as the progression of scientific skills. This allows the children to build upon previous learning and develop their understanding of how scientific ideas and concepts build on one another. For example, some areas may be covered in year 2, year 4 then again in year 6, but each time the learning builds upon previous knowledge, concepts and skills in order to ensure progression. Children have access to key scientific language and meanings in order to understand and apply their knowledge to their learning. In each class, our scientific learning is displayed as a working wall which focuses on the aspect of science being taught and emphasises the terminology used. Where possible, this is linked to the theme being learnt for each term, although there are times when the science topic will be independent.
St Stephens staff will use the science content of the 2014 National curriculum along with the science overview to show clear progression of skills and knowledge in their teaching across the school.This will begin in EYFS where the children begin to understand and ask questions about the world around them, progressing through Key stage 1 where pupils will be enabled to experience and observe phenomena, looking more closely at the natural and humanly constructed world around them. By Key stage 2 the children will be broadening their scientific views of the world, asking their own questions and testing and developing ideas. Eventually, they will encounter more abstract ideas and begin to recognise how these ideas help them to understand and predict how the world operates.
The program of study taught in Key stage 1 is: plants, animals and humans, everyday materials, seasonal changes and living things and their habitats.
The program of study taught in lower Key stage 2 includes: plants, animals and humans, rocks, light, forces and magnets, living things and their habitats, states of matter, sound and electricity.
The program of study taught in upper Key stage 2 includes: living things and their habitats, animals and humans, properties and changes of materials, Earth and space, forces, evolution and inheritance, light and electricity.
Impact
Children at St Stephens will develop their understanding of the nature, processes and methods of science through different types of scientific enquiries whereby they will be able to answer scientific questions about the world around them. They will begin to recognise the power of rational explanation and develop a sense of excitement and curiosity about natural phenomena. With a curriculum that is accessible to all, every learner will be equipped with the scientific knowledge required to understand the uses and implications of science, today and for the future. Most of the children will achieve age related expectations in Science. The children will learn from their scientific experiences and use what they have learnt to influence the decisions they make.
The subject leader for Science is Mrs N Burt.
