Intent

At West Leigh Infant School we believe that Science is inclusive, as it cultivates and extends children’s natural curiosity about the world around them.   Our practical, hands-on approach encourages children to ask thought-provoking questions, make close observations, classify, predict and use their senses to find out about both the natural and man-made world around them.    We want our children to become ‘Scientist’, working and thinking scientifically to develop a secure foundation of skills, knowledge and understanding.

Implementation

In ensuring high standards of teaching and learning in science, we implement a curriculum that is progressive throughout the whole school.

All teachers are involved in Planning for science to ensure that the school gives full coverage of, ‘The National Curriculum programmes of study for Science 2014’ and, ‘Understanding of the World’ in the Early Years Foundation Stage. At West Leigh Infant School, Science teaching involves adapting and extending the curriculum to match all pupils’ needs.  To ensure coverage, Science is taught as discrete units and lessons, and where possible linked to class topics to enhance links in learning.  Teachers have flexibility in their plans to suit their children’s interests, current events, their own teaching style, the use of any support staff and the resources available.

We ensure that all children are provided with rich learning experiences that aim to:

• Prepare our children for a future, in a world which is increasingly scientifically and technologically lead.
• Scaffold the development and extension of our children’s scientific concept of their world.
• Build on our children’s natural curiosity and develop a scientific approach to problems
• Utilise and develop our children’s skills in observing, measuring, predicting, hypothesising, experimenting, communicating, interpreting, explaining and evaluating.
• Encourage open-mindedness, self-assessment, perseverance and team work.
• Develop the use of technology in investigating and recording.
• Highlight links between science and other subjects.

Impact

West Leigh’s successful approach results in fun, engaging, high quality Science, in which all children develop a life-long knowledge and understanding of the world around them and the transposable scientific skills that they can use throughout their lives.

With workshops, trips, interactions with experts, Science week and the schools local environment Science is enjoyable, engaging and motivating.