Aims and Objectives– Our Intent
At Ashurst, we understand the need for all children to develop their Scientific ability as an essential component of all subjects and as a subject in its own right. A good understanding of scientific knowledge and conceptual understanding helps to support pupils work across the curriculum. We believe that Science is a body of knowledge built up through experimental testing of ideas and is also a practical way of finding reliable answers to questions we may ask about the world around us. Science at Ashurst seeks to develop children’s ideas and ways of working that enable them to make sense of the world in which they live through investigation, as well as using and applying process skills. We believe that a broad and balanced science education is the entitlement of all children, regardless of ethnic origin, gender, class, aptitude or disability.
It is our aim for children to:
· acquire a growing understanding of the nature, processes and methods of scientific ideas.
· develop and extend their scientific concept of their world.
· Develop a natural curiosity and a scientific approach to solving
problems.
· develop the skills of perseverance so that they can approach investigations with an enquiring mind.
· develop key skills of investigation – including: observing, measuring, predicting, hypothesising, experimenting, communicating, interpreting, explaining and evaluating.
· use correct scientific vocabulary
· understand how scientific discoveries and understanding shape our world and how we live in it.
· Use their scientific understanding and apply this to a range of contexts and situations.
· Use their scientific understanding to inform their decision making about staying safe.
Teaching and Learning approaches – Our Implementation
Planning for science is a process in which all teachers are involved 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. Teachers plan to suit their children’s interests, current events, their own teaching style, the use of any support staff and the resources available. Science teaching at Ashurst, involves adapting and extending the curriculum to match all children’s needs. Where possible, Science will be linked to class topics as detailed in the school’s Long-term Plans. Science will also be taught as discrete units and lessons where needed to ensure coverage. Due to the mixed year groups in our classes, Science units are taught on a two-year rolling programme. This ensures progression between year groups and guarantees topics are covered.
The Early Years Foundation Stage
In Early Years Science is taught as an integral part of the topic work and specifically through the strand of ‘Understanding the World’. Science teaching and learning is also linked to the other strands of The EYFS framework for learning. Children learn about the world around them by finding out and exploring, asking questions, showing curiosity about objects, events and people and using their senses to explore their surroundings. Children’s understanding of science is first developed through finding out about everyday occurrences and natural phenomena such as what we look like, plants, seasons, overflowing drinks and falling over.
At Ashurst, teachers and teaching assistants support children to develop a solid understanding of things occurring around them in their day-to-day lives. Children are encouraged to be creative and inquisitive as they participate in activities. Children are encouraged to use their natural curiosity, while taking part in exploratory play in specific scientific areas as well as areas that link across the EYFS framework.
Key Stage One
During KS1, children observe, explore and ask questions about living things, materials and the world around them. They begin to work together to collect evidence to help them answer questions, find patterns, classify and group objects, research using a variety of sources and carry out fair testing.
Children use reference materials to find out more about scientific ideas. They share their ideas and communicate them using scientific language, drawings, charts and tables. Science lessons in KS1 may be taught discretely or connected to other curriculum areas. Children often use the outdoor area in their science learning.
Key Stage Two
Children are encouraged to extend their scientific questioning skills to further develop their understanding about the world around them. They carry out a range of scientific enquiries including:
observations over time, pattern seeking, classifying, grouping and researching using other sources (including computing resources). Children in KS2 learn to plan science investigations and develop their understanding of what constitutes a fair test and a control.
SEND Provision and Equal Opportunities
At Ashurst, all lessons should be appropriately differentiated to meet the varying needs of all children; ensuring that children of all abilities and backgrounds have an equal opportunity to make good progress and enjoy science. Children who achieved an assessment of ‘greater depth’ in their prior attainment are tracked as a more able children and should be identified on all planning.
Outcomes – Impact
Assessment:
All children are tracked using the in-school tracking system. After each unit of work, class teachers assess children based on their scientific knowledge and understanding linked to the objectives in the National Curriculum. In addition to this, children are assessed in working scientifically across the year and phase: Key Stage 1, Lower Key Stage 2 and Upper Key Stage 2. Each half term, child progress is captured and tracked against a year group’s targets, which are related to their prior attainment in the Early Years and Key Stage 1 teacher assessments.
Mental Health and Wellbeing
At Ashurst CE Aided Primary we nurture our bodies, minds, each other and our environment. By providing opportunities for learning outdoors, we aim to connect children and staff with their natural environment. We embrace the benefits this brings for mental health and physical and emotional wellbeing.
We promote pupils’ self-control and ability to self-regulate and recommend strategies for doing so. This will enable them to become confident in their ability to achieve well and persevere even when they encounter setbacks or when their goals are distant, and to respond calmly and rationally to setbacks and challenges. This integrated, whole-school approach to the teaching and promotion of health and wellbeing has the potential to positively impact on behaviour and attainment.
Pupils are also taught about the benefits of hobbies, interests and participation in their own communities. We encourage children to recognise that they are social beings and that spending time with others, taking opportunities to consider the needs of others and practising service to others, including in organised and structured activities and groups, are beneficial for health and wellbeing. Engaging in activities that promote mental well-being can indirectly contribute to improving overall health by alleviating stress, improving sleep patterns, improving attention span and boosting the immune system.
Children are inspired to follow their dreams when they leave school, whether that be to secure a job, begin vocational training or go on to further education.
At Ashurst CE Aided Primary School we recognise that we have a shared responsibility to prepare our children to achieve mental, physical and economic wellbeing in a local, national and global context.
In Science, children are given the opportunity to explore the world and build a sense of wonder, which can increase motivation, engagement, and reduce anxiety. Outdoor science activities (like nature walks or gardening) can reduce stress and support mental health. By using our school’s outdoor spaces for science learning, the children can focus on observations of the natural world, increasing their feeling of being part of it. Through open-ended investigations and hands-on experiments pupils can ask questions and find answers themselves. This develops their problem solving and resilience skills, learning to cope with setbacks and develop perseverance. Many science activities are collaborative, building social skills, self-esteem, and a sense of belonging. By planning group investigations and encouraging pupils to share findings, developing their confidence at sharing their ideas, as well as valuing every voice in discussions.
Cultural Capital
At Ashurst we aim to support every child to gain the confidence and the ability to understand and contribute to a varied cultural awareness. We believe that taking children’s learning experiences beyond what they already know is a fundamental part of becoming an educated citizen in society.
Science contributes to this through
• Whole school science themed days and Science Week.
• Showcasing the children’s science work around the school.
• Visits and visitors to inspire and encourage pupils.
• The positive and passionate teaching of science.
• Helping children to answer scientific questions about the world around them.
• Equipping children with the scientific knowledge required to understand the uses and implications of science, today and for the future.
• Encouraging children to explore the work of scientists past and present, local and world-wide.
• Providing excellent opportunities for children to plan lines of enquiry, ask opened ended problems, analyse results and draw conclusions based on scientific findings.
Monitoring and Evaluation
The Science Co-ordinator and class teacher is responsible for monitoring the standard of the children’s work and the quality of teaching in Science. The Science Co-ordinator is responsible for supporting colleagues in the teaching of Science, for being informed about current developments in the subject and for providing a strategic lead and direction for the subject in the school. In the Foundation Stage, objectives will be recorded in a children’s learning journal. Across Key Stages 1 and 2, pupils work will be recorded in their Foundation books. Children should be provided with opportunities to record their learning: written, pictorial, tables or graphs. All work should be marked in line with the school’s marking and feedback policy.
Roles and Responsibilities
Subject Leader - To have an impact on raising standards of attainment for Science across the whole school.
· Adapt and use the Programme of Study for Science, using Pzaz scheme and STEM resources, across the whole school to meet the needs of our children.
· To monitor the whole schools and individual needs.
· To be able to assess individual professional development opportunities and needs.
· To monitor and maintain high quality resources.
· To maintain an overview of current trends and developments within the subject.
· To ensure, together with the Head Teacher an effective programme of moderation and assessments.
· To ensure a regular and effective programme of analysis of short-term planning is in place.
Resources
Trays are maintained by the subject leader in the resource’s cupboard. The trays are labelled and organised in Key Stage units. Missing or broken resources should be reported to the subject leader as soon as possible and not put back broken, as this could cause injury.
Health and Safety
The class teacher will carry out risk assessments where it is deemed appropriate. The Risk Assessment is completed using the school’s proforma and should be discussed and agreed with the Headteacher.
This policy was adopted: July 2021
This policy was reviewed in: September 2025
The policy is to be reviewed: September 2026