Lilliput Church of England Infant School

Subject leader

Linked governor

Harry Fleet

Lauren Macare

Intent

To deliver a rich, challenging and cross-curricular science curriculum designed to give all children powerful knowledge and skills for long term retention and purpose in later life.

To ensure that our children are well prepared for junior schools.

What do we expect pupil to know by certain points?

Our designed curriculum (CLP Science curriculum document) will be coherently planned and sequenced through topic-based learning to provide children with a breadth of scientific learning concepts as they engage with content throughout EYFS and Key Stage 1.

Each Year Group will follow a detailed Science Medium Term plan and use Unit Covers for each half term of that year.  A Unit Cover consists of ‘Key knowledge, Implementation, Impact, Prior Learning, Working Scientifically opportunities, Key Vocabulary, and Next Year Group curriculum steps’ headings that provide guidance for staff to follow.

What is the clear sequence in which the children will encounter the curriculum?

Is it logical?

Does each year build on the last/prepare for the next (including Year 3?)

The Medium Term plans show coverage and sequence of each science strand per Year Group.

National Curriculum and CLP curriculum strands/statements have been carefully planned in to match our topic-based approach. This is monitored across the Key Stage to ensure progression from EYFS ELGs working towards end of Key Stage One assessment.

Unit Covers are used to support staff to build upon the previous Year Group learning, focus on study of current Year Group curriculum and have an awareness of following Year Group’s science expectations (including KS2 where appropriate).

Why have we chosen to teach this and not alternatives?

As one of the core subjects taught in Primary Schools, we aim to raise the profile and create a unique cultural capital of science specific for Lilliput. We will follow EYFS, N.C and CLP science curriculum guidance to ensure purposeful coverage for each Year Group in addition to tapping into our local area for further real life, meaningful experiences where possible. Our curriculum is based around half termly topics, which allows us to ‘dip in and out’ of science strands to make learning purposeful, whilst always considering the curriculums wider coverage. This provides opportunities to add further breadth to concepts where required allowing for children to actively remember experiences through detailed, real-life science planning of investigations and enquiries.

Does the teaching planned match the content?

Topic-based lessons are thoroughly planned and resourced in order to not just meet the N.C and CLP ‘big ideas’ guidance, but will also meet the ever-changing needs of our pupils and the world around us at Lilliput.

This will be checked and monitored by doing ‘book looks’ that should match medium term plans, unit covers and weekly planning overviews. In addition, lesson observations and pupil voice sessions will be carried out to ensure accurate coverage and content is being taught.

Unit Covers provide the guidance and expectation of coverage for each Year Group per half term.

Is there clear progression of skills considering prior learning (revisiting previously taught knowledge including linking with other subjects), which takes into account what will be taught in the next school.

All year groups spend time revisiting skills previously taught and subject leader meets with junior schools to identify the key skills required for children to be successful moving on.

Have we carefully considered why work has been placed in specific year groups including Reception and at particular points in the year.

Subject leader and CLP working party have spent time looking at progression of skills across EYFS, KS1 and KS2 to ensure each stage prepares the children effectively for the next stage. 

Implementation

The curriculum is ambitious and meets the needs of all pupils including disadvantaged and SEND.

All children are carefully tracked and monitored with a specific focus on disadvantaged and SEND.  Subject leader to check these children are receiving quality first teaching and additional support.

Does teaching include key elements such as explanation, modelling, scaffold, practise?

Planning to demonstrate a range of engaging resources – such as practical objects/opportunities, interactive use of ICT (e.g. Explorify) and use of the outdoors to bring science to life.

Explanation, modelling, scaffold, practise incorporated into lesson plans and monitored in lesson observations/teachers to peer monitor. Explicit cross-curricular links of subjects – for example: Maths data handling methods of recording scientific investigations (tally, tables).

Science displays introduced in the classrooms to match half termly learning - embed explanations and key vocabulary used during lessons.

Investigations will be demonstrated/modelled through our ‘Science Discovery Dogs’ – 4 steps are ‘plan, conduct, record, conclude and explain’.

Can you articulate why teachers are teaching your subject in a particular way?

Teaching is designed to allow children to make reliable predictions, explanations, and generalisations of the scientific phenomena in their everyday life and the world around them.

Teachers will have excellent subject knowledge and demonstrate the cognitive load theory when implementing science being aware of task demand and available resources to build upon, stretch and give every child the opportunity to succeed in their scientific learning.

N.C and CLP curriculum will provide a structure and skill development for the science being taught throughout the school, which is mapped, where possible to the themed half termly topics to provide a creative scheme of work, which reflects a balanced programme of study. This allows pupils to access the science curriculum in a more fluent, purposeful way to match their learning.

All our leaders across the school, including governors, regularly review and quality assure the subject is implemented sufficiently well.

Subject leader to provide a termly reports to SLT regarding curriculum implementation.  Subject leader also to meet termly with link governor to review and quality assure subject.

Impact

How do you know that the children have learnt the things that we expect them to learn?

We monitor and evaluate whether children have learnt what was taught and gained knowledge and skills against the curriculum expectations.

We track this against Year Group programmes of study expectations and the end of key stage teacher assessment framework. Assessment ‘must have’ pieces of evidence will be decided for each of the science strands for specific Year Groups.

We use a variety of strategies to evaluate the knowledge, skills and understanding that our children have gained during each unit.

-Regular feedback, marking and pupil voice feedback following marking policy.

-Subject monitoring, including book scrutiny, pupil voice, planning spot checks and lesson observations.

-Regular knowledge assessment during lessons, using a range of creative approaches. (Interactive quizzes)

- KS1 Science books have both Yr1 and Yr2 strands stuck in for teachers to assess ‘as they go’ – teacher assessments provide a detailed understanding of individual pupils understanding/needs of strands working towards the end of key stage assessment.

-Science Ambassador team for pupil voice.

-Classroom displays to promote science in school.

What do we do if the children haven’t learnt them?

Teachers to plan for SEN support and use stimulating resources/approaches to aid learning.

Teachers to have CPD to ensure quality first teaching for all pupil needs.

Staff to add pupils to SEN EXCEL document for tracking purposes, identifying gaps in scientific learning.

Look to send home ‘knowledge organisers’ for science strands/topics/vocabulary for pupils to have a ‘pre teach’ effect.

Are there regular opportunities for retrieval practise?

Lessons will provide links to previous and future work allowing for science progression of skills over time.

Lessons will be planned with a specific LO, success criteria linked both to curriculum content and a working scientifically statement.

How can we see that children’s fluency and mastery is incrementally improving?

If we can see/evidence this we can demonstrate IMPACT

Teachers to provide ‘on-going’ teacher assessment of science strands to indicate children’s progression / achievements via book assessment sheets. Track this over time to ensure progression.

Potential introduction of science unit quizzes to gauge children’s key knowledge has been retained. This could be written or verbally checked through pupil voice.

Application of skills taught in other lessons – explicit monitoring for impact.

CPD

Staff questionnaire at end of current academic year/Sept for any new starters.

This will be repeated annually and will inform staff CPD.

Priorities for the year – see Action plan reviewed / updated.