Developing scientific thinking, encouraging questioning and wonder, equipping children for now and the future.

Science at Croyland

At Croyland we follow the National Curriculum for Science. This allows children to build a layered progression of scientific skills as well as the opportunity to absorb subject based knowledge which builds year-on-year on previous learning. This provides the foundations for understanding the world through the specific disciplines of biology, chemistry and physics.

The National Curriculum states “through building up a body of 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. They should be encouraged to understand how science can be used to explain what is occurring, predict how things will behave, and analyse causes” (DfE, 2014)

Our science curriculum is built upon our Science principles, vision and aims, ensuring that children have access to a rich cultural capital. It provides the basis for developing thinking and questioning the world around us and develops skills for children’s futures, be it in the scientific disciplines or across a broader range of future opportunities. We aim to make science a subject of awe and wonder through the provision of hands-on practical science experiences. Each science unit across the curriculum is supported with the addition of a knowledge web which provides an overview of the unit, along with links to progressive vocabulary, retrieval topics and prior learning. We utilise the Chris Quigley Great Depth companion to support teacher in pitching learning appropriately to their different learner groups – enabling scaffolding and support along with extension and deeper thinking where appropriate.

We are ensuring that our curriculum at Croyland develops progression in these skills, scientific vocabulary and in their knowledge to enable our children to build upon and revisit earlier learning. Each science lesson will begin with a retrieval task to recap and recall previous linked learning. Our expectations are that children truly master Science and are always questioning and curious, leading them further into a deeper level of thinking. In order to inspire our children with a love of science we will explore a diverse range of famous scientists that link to specific science units, developing their cultural capital through demonstrating the real life importance and impact of science.