Ferney Lee Primary School

Science

Science at Ferney Lee

“Remember to look up at the stars and not down at your feet. Try to make sense of what you see and wonder about what makes the universe exist. Be curious.’'

-Stephen Hawking

At Ferney Lee Primary School, we strongly believe that high-quality science education and teaching offers the foundations for understanding the world around us. Science is everchanging and is fundamental for a prosperous future, which we strive to facilitate and stress the importance of when delivering the teaching of the processes, methods, and knowledge of this vital area. Science at Ferney Lee focuses upon developing students’ thinking and scientific practices that enable them to make sense of the world in which they live. We achieve this by ensuring that students are exposed to quality first teaching, investigating scientific phenomena and real-world problems, and by applying scientific skills. A key element to our teaching is the building of fundamental scientific knowledge and concepts that can be added to and developed each year to allow our students to advance their rational thinking skills in addition to developing a sense of curiosity and excitement about science. Students are encouraged to understand how science can be used to explain what is occurring, predict how things will behave, as well as analyse the causes they observe or record. Students at Ferney Lee are constantly exposed and immersed in key scientific vocabulary, increasing students’ knowledge and understanding of not only the specific matter they are currently studying but of the world in which they live in.

Within the academic year, year groups 1-6 will study science in blocks, as outlined in the overall curriculum framework overview. This allows children to enhance their scientific knowledge and develop working scientifically skills through focused learning. This model promotes the achievement of a greater depth of understanding by the end of each unit.

Although science is taught as a stand-alone subject, where possible links are made between the other curriculum areas.  

Our Science Curriculum Overview

Our science curriculum is mapped to ensure alignment with the national curriculum content and programme of study. Key knowledge relates directly and builds towards the achievement of the end of the phase (KS1, Lower KS2, and upper KS2) ‘end points’, informed by the  National Curriculum statements. Key skills are also mapped so that these are developed systematically and align directly to the specified working scientifically statements as outlined in the NC for each phase. 

EYFS

The teaching of science in EYFS is in accordance with the EYFS development matters national framework.  Children are guided to make sense of their physical world and community through opportunities to explore, observe and find out about people, places, technology, and the environment. They are assessed according to the Development Matters attainment targets