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Science
BackINTENT
At St. Mary’s it is our intention to enhance the children’s natural curiosity and inquisitiveness to ask questions about the world they live in. As a Catholic school, we recognise God as the creator of everything and wish to instil a sense of awe and wonder in the children. We aim to provide a range of opportunities to ensure the children acquire knowledge which they can retain for life. We believe it is important to help children find more meaning and relevance in science and, as a result, engage more with the subject. We hope to start working with the University of York to boost the profile of Science Capital within our school.
“Pupils should be encouraged to recognise the power of rational explanation and develop a sense of excitement and curiosity about natural phenomena. They should be encouraged to understand how science can be used to explain what is occurring, predict how things will behave, and analyse causes.” - Mary Myatt “The Curriculum Gallimanfry to coherence.”
IMPLEMENTATION
We follow the National Curriculum, and where possible cross-curricular links are developed to enhance and enrich the curriculum, such as experiment write-ups in literacy and recording results in a graph using their mathematical skills. As children develop through the year groups, they build on their skills in working scientifically, as well as on their scientific knowledge, as they become more independent in planning and carrying out fair and comparative tests to answer a range of scientific questions. Outdoor learning is used throughout the school as an exciting way into a wide range of scientific themes. Topics are revisited throughout their time at St. Mary’s, building on prior knowledge and developing a deeper understanding. We have strong links with the University of York and Johnson Matthey, a global science and chemicals company, who lead sessions for our children both in school and on site.
IMPACT
The children have developed a love for science and an enthusiasm to observe and question the world. We use the Focus Science scheme to inform both teachers and children of their progress against the expected standards. This gives clear learning objectives per topic for each year group.
“Different types of science enquiries help them to answer scientific questions about the world around them and are equipped with the scientific knowledge required to understand the uses and implications of science, today and for the future.” (Mary Myatt)