‘The scientist is not a person who gives the right answers; they are the one who asks the right questions.’
Claude Levi-Strauss
Intent
At John Scurr, the learning of Science is underpinned by the strength of our curriculum architecture. We teach the CUSP Curriculum which is recognised as ambitious, rigorous and evidence-based. From EYFS to Year 6 children are exposed to a curriculum design which systematically teaches the vocabulary and knowledge they need to grow their Science knowledge and understanding.
Particular attention has been paid to the sequencing of the curriculum, ensuring that new learning always connects to prior learning; in addition to this there are numerous opportunities to retrieve and consolidate what has been learned before.
Disciplinary knowledge is fundamental to Science at John Scurr, so that children are always aware that they are ‘thinking as Scientists’ as they apply their knowledge and ask and answer Scientific questions.
We view enrichment as an essential component of Science at our school. All John Scurr Pupils enjoy numerous opportunities to consolidate and contextualise their academic knowledge by learning outside of the classroom. For example, all children regularly visit and learn in our RHE-accredited school garden as well as frequent visits to museums, galleries and Science centres in the local community and central London. In recent years we have hosted annual visits from The Royal Institution - whose Science outreach shows inspire wonder and curiosity.
What Do We Teach
Our Science curriculum teaches both substantive knowledge (the subject knowledge and vocabulary for each topic) and disciplinary knowledge (the knowledge of how to work scientifically).
EYFS:
- Understanding the World
Year 1:
- Seasonal changes
- Plants
- Animals, including humans
- Humans
Year 2:
- Living things and their habitats
- Animals, including humans
- Use of everyday materials
- Plants
Year 3:
- Animals, including humans
- Forces and magnets
- Light
- Plants
- Rocks
Year 4:
- Living things and their habitats
- Electricity
- Animals including humans
- Sound
- States of matter
Year 5:
- Properties and changes of materials
- Aninmals including humans
- Earth in space
- Forces
- Living things and their habitats
Year 6:
- Living things and their habitats
- Light
- Animals, including humans – circulatory system
- Animals, including humans – water transportation
- Electricity
- Evolution and inheritance
How Do Pupils Learn
A guiding principle of the Science curriculum is that all learning connects to prior learning. Children develop practical experience and consolidate this before moving to more abstract knowledge and concepts.
Each unit includes an overview for children which details the topic’s big idea and prior learning, plus substantive and disciplinary knowledge. Dual coded ‘knowledge organisers’ contain core information for children’s reference and act as a means of retrieval practise, which is the deliberate retrieval of knowledge in a way that supports long-term memory formation.
Lesson sequences are carefully considered to ensure that the content has a clear and coherent order, allowing children to connect new learning to existing knowledge. Each lesson is structured around a learning question which children are able to answer by the end. Curriculum documents provide teachers with a range of task ideas to support the development of this knowledge and understanding. For each lesson, children use a knowledge note which develops the core knowledge found in knowledge organisers. Knowledge notes focus pupils’ working memory to the key question that will be asked at the end of the lesson. They reduce cognitive load and help avoid split-attention effect.
Retrieval practise is embedded in the learning sequences to support long-term memory, using spaced learning and ‘interleaving’ as part of the class teacher’s lesson design.
Children also study vocabulary modules which provide vital Tier 2 and 3 vocabulary connected to Science topics. These include etymology and morphology, relevant idioms and colloquialisms. We aim to provide a culture of high challenge combined with low threat, putting no ceiling on any child’s learning and providing the right scaffolding for every child to achieve.
How Do We know What Children Have Learned?
- Questioning
- Pupil Book Study
- Talking to teachers
- Low stakes “drop in” observations
- Quizzing and retrieval practices
- Feedback and marking
- Progress in book matches the curriculum intent