Science

 Intent

St William’s aims to provide its pupils with a high-quality, inclusive science education that also provides the foundations for understanding the world. All pupils will be taught essential aspects of the knowledge, methods, processes and uses of science. Pupils will be encouraged to recognise the power of rational explanation and develop a sense of excitement and curiosity about natural phenomena. Pupils will be encouraged to understand how science can be used to explain what is occurring, predict how things will behave, and analyse causes.

Implementation

In Science we aim to implement St William’s key priority of the provision of learning by exploring through first-hand experiences including outdoor science, developing pupil’s skills in working scientifically, using a variety of resources to express and articulate knowledge and understanding/ideas and learning, including through play, from the start to the end of their St William’s journey.

As a ‘School of Diversity’, we celebrate diverse, inspiring scientists linked to science careers through our science teaching and during our British Science Week activities. We further aim for our pupils to develop a sense of excitement and curiosity in science through our science after school club, science trips and visitors.

As a ‘School of Oracy’, we place a high priority on understanding scientific vocabulary and speaking and listening following the dialogic teaching approach. We use the dialogic teaching approach to give children the opportunities to add, build and challenge one another’s scientific ideas and misconceptions by engaging in discussions. As a ‘School of Reading’, we aim for children to acquire a thirst for knowledge that promotes a love of reading through the use of high-quality science texts that engage and excite our pupils and also by providing new and relevant learning experiences.

As a ‘School of Enquiry’, we enable the pupil’s neurological pathways to be stimulated by providing enquiry-based science teaching with a multi-sensory approach to the pupils’ learning by providing a range of hands-on, practical activities.

We ensure that our pupils build on and develop their working scientifically skills so that they can apply their knowledge of science when carrying out experiments and explaining scientific concepts.

Impact

Pupils will be able to access the science secondary school curriculum successfully and will have the essential scientific skills and personal characteristics to support active participation in lessons; that enable them to express and explain their scientific ideas and thinking in a variety of ways to arrive at mastery (i.e., verbally by using talk partners, written, drawing/labelled diagram and practical experiments). They will be independent, resilient, self-aware and have the ability to form strong relationships that will enable then to become life-long learners and well-rounded citizens, who can make a positive contribution to our diverse and global scientific society.

Science progression of skills