Science
“Somewhere, something incredible is waiting to be known.”
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Intent
At Burrington, we are SCIENTISTS!
At Burrington Primary School, we see children as incredible and adaptable learners. Our team provide exciting experiences and challenges which feed our children’s curiosity of the world and embrace their inquisitive nature. We encourage children to be inquisitive throughout their time at the school and beyond.
Our science curriculum fosters a healthy curiosity in children about our universe and promotes respect for the living and non-living.
Our curriculum is underpinned by the 2014 national curriculum for science, which aims to ensure that all pupils:
- develop scientific knowledge and conceptual understanding through the specific disciplines of biology, chemistry and physics
- develop understanding of the nature, processes and methods of science through different types of science enquiries that help them to answer scientific questions about the world around them
- are equipped with the scientific skills required to understand the uses and implications of science, today and for the future.
We understand that it is important for lessons to have a skills-based focus, and that the knowledge can be taught through this.
We believe science encompasses the acquisition of knowledge, concepts, skills and positive attitudes. Throughout the programmes of study, the children will acquire and develop the key knowledge that has been identified within each unit and across each year group, as well as the application of scientific skills.
We ensure that the ‘Working Scientifically Skills’ are built-on and developed throughout children’s time at the school so that they can apply their knowledge of science when using equipment, conducting experiments, building arguments and explaining concepts confidently and continue to ask questions and be curious about their surroundings.
Implementation
“If I have seen further it is by standing on the shoulders of Giants.”
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We pride ourselves on providing experiences of science that goes beyond the primary school level.
Our children have the opportunity to:
Work with real scientists (professor Ed is a well loved guest speaker at our school)
Compete nationally in science competitions (Burrington is a founding member of the award nominated South West Science Challenge
Achieve highly in science (our school has been recognised with the science GOLD award from the European Space Agency
Teachers create a positive attitude to science learning within their classrooms and reinforce an expectation that all pupils are capable of achieving high standards in science.
Our whole school approach to the teaching and learning of science involves the following;
- Science will be taught in planned and arranged topic blocks by the class teacher, where possible to have a project-based approach but otherwise as standalone modules of study. This is a strategy to enable the achievement of a greater depth of knowledge when placed in an engaging context.
- Through our planning, we involve problem solving opportunities that allow children to apply their knowledge, and find out answers for themselves. Children are encouraged to ask their own questions and be given opportunities to use their scientific skills and research to discover the answers. This curiosity is celebrated within the classroom.
- Planning involves teachers creating engaging lessons, often involving high-quality resources to aid understanding of conceptual knowledge. Teachers use precise questioning in class to test conceptual knowledge and skills, and assess pupils regularly to identify those children with gaps in learning, so that all pupils keep up.
- We build upon the knowledge and skill development of the previous years. As the children’s knowledge and understanding increases, and they become more proficient in selecting, using scientific equipment, collating and interpreting results, they become increasingly confident in their growing ability to come to conclusions based on real evidence.
- Working Scientifically skills are embedded into lessons to ensure these skills are being developed throughout the children’s school career and new vocabulary and challenging concepts are introduced through direct teaching. This is developed through the years,
- Teachers demonstrate how to use scientific equipment, and the various ‘working scientifically skills’ in order to embed scientific understanding. Teachers find opportunities to develop children’s understanding of their surroundings by accessing outdoor learning and workshops with experts.
- Children are offered an increasing range of extra-curricular activities, visits, trips and visitors to complement and broaden the curriculum. These are purposeful and link with the knowledge being taught in class.
Impact
“The scientist is not a person who gives the right answers, they're one who asks the right questions.”
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Burrington have been recognised for our science teaching and for the opportunities we provide.
- Our yearly science competition the South West Science Challenge was nominated for the yearly Enthuse awards for excellence in science teaching.
- We have been awarded the Gold Award for science teaching by ESA for our space-themed science.
- Our youtube channel kept our learners busy and engaged throughout pandemic lockdowns Click Here
- We were featured on Springwatch and the news for our hedgehog highway project
- We raised money to build 17 custom-made wheelchairs for disabled children in Tanzania to attend school as part of our African Wheelchair Project
The updated and reformed curriculum is enabling the provision of fun, engaging, high-quality science education, that provides children with the foundations and knowledge for understanding the world.
Through various workshops, trips and interactions with experts, along with our close ties to regional and national groups of scientific expertise, children are developing the understanding that science has changed our lives and that it is vital to the world’s future prosperity.
During the next year we are looking to extend the opportunities for children to learn about careers in science, so that the children have access to positive role models within the field of science from the immediate and wider local community. From this exposure, we intend for all children to feel they are scientists and capable of achieving.
Children at Burrington overwhelmingly enjoy science and this results in motivated learners with sound scientific understanding.
