Science is all around us! At St Joseph’s we believe that scientific investigation is one of the most powerful ways to learn; developing curiosity and perseverance as well as challenging what we know about the world.
We aim to make science as practical as possible, linking it to real-life contexts and giving meaning to our learning. We want our pupils to be hands-on, passionate scientists who make predictions, test their theories and evaluate their findings.
We have designed our science curriculum so that it is relevant to our students with the intent that our pupils will develop an in-depth understanding of the world around them.
We have formed strong links with organisations that have generously offered their resources to our pupils as part of their community outreach. In the past year, our Year 5 pupils attended Science masterclasses hosted by The Cedars School, the Royal Institute, and Benjamin Franklin House. This year, we have also been invited to by the Cedars school for weekly science classes in their brand new state-of-the-art science labs.
We recognise that science plays a vital role within our school community and as such have invested in new practical science resources. This will ensure that science is a more hands-on, practical subject, allowing the pupils to explore scientific concepts and carry out experiments and investigations in a safe and secure environment.
Our aim is to build an environment that promotes a passion for all things scientific for all our pupils, regardless of their background and starting point. This will ensure that they are inspired to continue to use science in their everyday life, future education and careers.
Science is a key aspect of the National Curriculum which relates to many other subject areas. We make cross-curricular links wherever possible and science offers extensive opportunities to apply core skills of reading, writing and mathematics.
Knowledge organisers and topic webs are shared with parents, for each topic studied by pupils. They are informative to use for reference and assessment purposes. These map out the knowledge, vocabulary and skills needed to master the concepts as well as including suggestions for links to outdoor learning and home-based activities. They also show clear links to other curriculum areas where skills learnt can be shared between subjects, often through topic-based learning
Children are naturally curious and science offers them the opportunity to explore their natural curiosity whilst developing key scientific investigative skills.
Our children are scientists looking for a new discovery!
Mrs M Steen-Plomer
Science Lead