Science
At Lothersdale Primary School, science promotes children to seek answers to ambitious questions and wonder about how things work. Science plays an important and progressive role within the school’s curriculum, and it is essential that children build knowledge about how science has changed our lives and is vital to the world’s future prosperity. A fundamental role of science at Lothersdale Primary School is to allow children to discover, explain and develop their knowledge and skills through exploring collaboratively in investigations and working scientifically.
Science and cross curricular links
Sometimes, when a core text isn’t matched with humanities, it is linked with a science unit i.e Orion and The Dark in LKS2. Through working scientifically, maths and science are interwoven through writing scientific reports. The long-term plan for Maths has enabled a progression of when and how children will support their reports with visual representations such as bar charts or line graphs.
Through a carefully planned and dynamic Science curriculum, Lothersdale Primary School aims to foster a generation of scientifically literate individuals who approach the world with curiosity, critical thinking, and a deep appreciation for the wonders of science.
- Scientific Knowledge: Assessments and projects will demonstrate a progression in scientific knowledge, reflecting a deepening understanding of key concepts.
- Working Scientifically Skills: Students will exhibit proficiency in working scientifically, demonstrated through their ability to plan and conduct experiments, analyse results, and draw evidence-based conclusions.
- Enthusiasm and Engagement: Increased enthusiasm for science as reflected in students' active participation in lessons, curiosity, and a desire to explore scientific topics beyond the curriculum.
- Assessment: Through low stake quizzes and recalls, prior knowledge will be assessed before a new unit of work.
- Substantive knowledge: Using Memory Monday with planned recalls throughout the year enables knowledge to embed into long-term memory which is then recorded on a whole school spreadsheet.
- Disciplinary knowledge: Assessment record outlines the working scientifically concepts and is passed onto the next teacher.
Our progression documents allow for progression from EYFS to Year 6 in a range of key components within science. Science Unit Overviews have been designed to allow progression in vocabulary, working scientifically skills and substantive knowledge.
International and national projects
Science has a positive relationship with pupils, parents, governors and teachers who collaborate through homework projects for science fairs and engaging with an eagerness to know more by pupils conducting their own experiments at home. This is communicated with parents through the half termly newsletter and curriculum overviews.