Intent

At Bishop Hooper school, we aim to inspire children to want to know more about their understanding of the world through scientific disciplines of Biology, Chemistry and Physics.

In an ever-changing world. where our children's future jobs may not even exist yet, it is vital that our children understand how science has already changed their lives and how it may shape their future. 

We aim to provide children with scientific knowledge and processes but also give them the real world uses of this science. Our children are encouraged to recognise the power of rational explanation through exciting investigations, which build upon their natural curiosity. They are expected to: 

• Try to explain what is occurring;
• Use appropriate scientific vocabulary and ideas;
• Explain the 'why'

We provide a range of different types of scientific enquiry and encourage open-ended questioning, where children can decide how to try to find the right answer. It is important that children are not always directly guided to the 'right' answer and they realise that some of the most important scientific advancements occurred from mistakes, or someone saying 'What if...?' 

As well as being encouraged to use technical vocabulary accurately and precisely, children will also apply their mathematical knowledge and skills to their understanding of science, including:

• collecting
• presenting
• and analysing data.

We believe that as well as being able to understand a scientific enquiry for themselves, it is important our children can also explain this coherently and with a critical mind, to someone else.

Implementation

Bishop Hooper School uses a range of strategies to introduce, explore and fully understand scientific learning. Learning Objectives are drawn directly from the National Curriculum.

Revision of key concepts and knowledge is carried out regularly through the use of 'Flashbacks' (beginning of lesson re-caps) and 'POP Tasks'  (end of topic key objective assessments).

Teachers use key questions to:

• draw out and deepen understanding
• move learning along
• address potential misconceptions

Children need to be shown that there are a variety of types of scientific investigations and be taught these across their time in school.

• fair and comparative testing
• surveys and patterns in data
• classification
• exploring and observing over time
• problem solving

As children move through KS2, they may be given the opportunity to choose their own approach to learning and how best to investigate. 

Education trips and visits are planned into topics where appropriate. These provide valuable opportunities for real-world context and to gain further knowledge and understanding of the topic.

Teachers encourage real-world contexts and scenarios where scientific learning applies, to show the children the types of occupations that might use the scientific learning and skills.

Impact

Bishop Hooper School has a broad and engaging science curriculum that:

• makes use of a range of resources
• has teachers who have up to date subject knowledge and confidence in teaching the subject
• has children and staff who are enthusiastic about scientific learning and can speak confidently about science
• ensures children can use appropriate scientific vocabulary in written and oral form to share their understanding of scientific concepts
• enables children to makes links between science and other subjects
• has children who can recall prior learning and use this to understand new learning
• enables children to instigate their own investigations confidently and interpret their findings
• has staff who are able to anticipate potential misconceptions and address these confidently
• has children who meet their age-related expectations in science consistently