Intent, implementation and impact

Intent

At Boxmoor School, we aim to provide a high quality science education that enables children to recognise the importance of science in daily life. We want children to appreciate how science has changed the lives of human beings and know that it is vital to the world’s future. Therefore, all pupils will be taught essential aspects of the knowledge, methods, processes and uses of science.

Through building up key foundational knowledge and concepts, pupils should be encouraged to recognise the power of rational explanation and develop a sense of excitement and curiosity about natural phenomena. Our focus on practical science, natural curiousity and seeking rational explanations is all based on a love of 'finding things out'. 

Children should be taught to understand how science can be used to explain what is occurring, predict how things will behave, and analyse causes. Our curriculum also encourages children to become enquiry based learners, collaborating through researching, investigating and evaluating experiences. 

All children will be provided with a broad and balanced science curriculum, which builds on prior learning and reflects the equality and diversity policies and practice in school.

Implementation

At Boxmoor, science is taught weekly. Teachers encourage children to make links to prior learning. Children will be able to build on prior knowledge and link ideas together.  There is a focus on practical , with pupils encouraged to record observations, experiments, hypotheses in class floor books, that form a key record of the learning in class. 

Impact

The teaching of science at Boxmoor will result in a fun, engaging, high quality science education, that provides children with the foundations for understanding the world that they can take with them once they complete their primary education.

Formative assessment is used as the main tool for assessing the impact of Science at Boxmoor as it allows for misconceptions and gaps to be addressed more immediately rather than building on insecure scientific foundations.

Children will:

• Demonstrate a love of science work and an interest in further study and work in this field
• Retain knowledge that is pertinent to Science with a real life context.
• Be able to question ideas and reflect on knowledge.
• Be able to articulate their understanding of scientific concepts and be able to reason scientifically using rich language linked to science.
• Demonstrate mathematical skills through their work, organising, recording and interpreting results.
• Work collaboratively and practically to investigate and experiment.

The impact on learning will be assessed though: pupil voice, book looks, observing lessons etc.

Here at Boxmoor we strive to show each and every child that Science is interactive, exciting and achievable.

This is based on the four main principles:

1. Active Science – focusing on interactive lessons which are practical and allow children to have control of their learning/questioning and what/how the Science is being taught in the classroom.  

2. How Science is relevant to their lives and the world around them.

3. To challenge stereotypes so that every child can see themselves reflected in Science. We do this by, not only study famous historical scientists, but also women in Science and scientists from diverse ethnicities in both a historical and modern context.

4. How Science is used in STEM based jobs and everyday jobs/lives.

Science is taught through lessons, embedded throughout the curriculum and themed days or weeks, such as Forensic Day and National Insect Week.