Twyford St Mary's
Church of England Primary School

 

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Science

Subject lead: Sophie Davies

How we teach Science

The way we teach science at Twyford St Mary’s aims to inspire children to explore and discover the way the world around them works, and to encourage them to be curious and enthusiastic about investigation, theory, and enquiry.

We do this by creating a positive attitude to science learning right from the start of their EYFS journey which extends on – through the key stages – and helps to build enthusiasm for their secondary experiences. Within the classroom, the teacher’s focus on vocabulary and essential scientific knowledge establishes confidence in all children that they can achieve high standards in their science learning.

We provide the building blocks, methods, and tools to develop scientific enquiry thinking that allows children to question and explore for themselves in investigative activities and planned experiments.

At Twyford St Mary’s children studying science are encouraged to follow independent lines of enquiry, explore their own hypotheses, and use their scientific skills and research to discover the answers for themselves.

Our science vision is inspired by both the EYFS statutory framework and the Kent Scheme of work that provide us with a clear journey of science progression from Years 1-6. Practical enquiry is balanced with theoretical knowledge along the way to ensure pupils understand and can demonstrate their thinking in a range of ways.

Several of our class topics are inspired by the core learning of science including ‘May the Forces be with you’, ‘Evolutionary Journeys’ and ‘Powering our Futures’, ensuring that the value of science as a core subject is shared with the children of our school.

Children learn how to create their own scientific questions from the very start of TSM and are taught specifically about understanding variables from year 3 through our ‘same, change, measure guide’.

Pupils demonstrate their independent understanding through our Teacher Assessment in Primary Science (TAPS) learning sessions, where practical skills and discussion lead to judgments of their half-termly progress with both the key subject knowledge and scientific enquiry skills.

Making science come alive!

 We encourage scientific thinking with links to wider subjects such as Technology, through creating moving or pneumatic toys or RE through our exploration of scientific thinking and theory compared to religious concepts (the Big Bang debate being a highlight for many).

We proudly promote Scientific thinking and ‘STEM’ through our ‘TSM Science Day’, with a particular focus on real careers and opportunities for all in the scientific community. Children are inspired by visitors and workshops, including our Year 6’s attending the KES A-level science Road Show to see how science can have boundless limitations!

Visits to the Winchester Science Centre (Year 1/2 and 4/5) and our Stubbington Study Centre Ecology residential trip in Year 4, provide pupils with hands-on, memorable experiences to emphasise the value of this core subject at TSM!

The Twyford St Mary’s science expert:

  • Will develop critical thinking skills and knowledge that will support them through further education and for life as an adult in the wider world.
  • Has an enquiring mind with a desire to investigate and explore the world around them.
  • Loves outdoor learning due to a wealth of opportunities such as residentials, trips, working with experts, and fieldwork, and will enjoy detailed examination, experimentation, and analysis.
  • Asks curious questions and shares ideas,
  • Describes events and findings in detail,
  • Makes links to their scientific vocabulary and knowledge of the world
  • Is resilient and able to understand that you can learn as much from failure as from success,
  • Can use apparatus and resources sensibly and with care, and
  • Can make reasonable predictions.

Our approach to Science for SEND learners

Pupils with SEND often share they are passionate about science at TSM and enjoy the exploration of concepts through practical enquiries.

By removing any barriers to written communication, our TAPS assessment allows us to make secure judgements of SEND pupil’s progress. We are proud to share that pupils with SEND perform well in our science units, with many confidently sharing their knowledge of the national curriculum taught units and making connections to prior learning.

Supporting tools and experiences