St James
  • Home
    • Family Support >
      • SEN Support
  • About Us
    • Our Vision
    • St. James' Charter and British Values
    • Staff
    • Governors
    • Friends of St. James'
    • School Parliament
  • Classes
    • Nursery
    • Reception
    • Year 1 >
      • Useful Links
    • Year 2
    • Year 3
    • Year 4
    • Year 5
    • Year 6
    • Home Learning Websites >
      • Early Years Websites
      • Key Stage 1 Websites
      • Key Stage 2 Websites
      • Mrs Fay's Spanish & Music Page
      • English as an Additional Language Links
      • Ryan's Guitar Challenge
  • News
    • Pupil and Visitor Feedback
  • Info
    • Calendar >
      • Calendar
      • Diary Dates
    • Parent Support Links
    • Admissions
    • Policies
    • GDPR
    • Equality
    • Curriculum
    • PSHE and Relationships
    • Special Educational Needs and Disability >
      • Manchester's Parent Carer Forum
    • Pupil Premium
    • Sports Premium
    • School Lunches and Milk
    • Uniform
    • KS2 Results, Ofsted and SIAMS reports
    • Forms and Letters
    • Vacancies:
  • Curriculum
    • Overview
    • Intent and Implementation
    • Diversity in the Curriculum
    • EYFS
    • Subjects >
      • English >
        • Reading
        • Phonics
      • Maths
      • Science
      • Religious Education
      • PE
      • History and Geography
      • Art and D & T
      • PSHRE
      • Computing
      • Languages
      • Music
  • Contact Us
  • School Day
  • Gallery
    • Our School
    • Our Day
    • Extended Schools
    • Visitors and Visits
    • OB2021 Mr Tomson

Science

Intent
​
At St James CofE Primary School, we encourage children to be inquisitive throughout their time at the school and
beyond. The Science curriculum fosters a healthy curiosity in children about our universe. We believe science
encompasses the acquisition of knowledge, concepts, skills and positive attitudes. Throughout the programmes of
study, the children will acquire and develop the key knowledge that has been identified within each unit and
across each year group.
The key knowledge identified by each year group is informed by the national curriculum and places emphasis
on ‘Working Scientifically’, by ensuring, that given time, children will develop a high level of understanding by
applying practical enquiry skills and building on prior learning. The curriculum is designed to ensure that children are able
to acquire key scientific knowledge through practical experiences; using equipment, conducting experiments,
building arguments and explaining concepts confidently. Children are encouraged to ask questions and be curious
about their surroundings and a love of science is nurtured through a whole school.
Implementation
Across the school, Science is given the same prominence as Maths and English and is. Our science curriculum places emphasis on ‘Working Scientifically’, as well as ensuring that given time, children will develop a high level of understanding by applying practical enquiry skills and building on prior learning.

We follow the National Curriculum. This ensures that the design of our curriculum for Science meets the expectations set out for Key Stages 1 and 2
and, to support us in doing this, we use a range of teaching materials and resources.
Developing the skills needed to work scientifically and experiencing hands on science is a
key priority. We ensure this this by:
  • Giving pupils regular, high quality, hands-on practical experiences across the whole Science curriculum.
  • Breaking down the skills of Scientific Enquiry and carefully matching them to appropriate scientific concepts and topics in each phase and year group.
  • Ensuring that pupils carry out full investigations, tests and experiments in each year for each topic (where possible).
  • Encouraging curiosity and child-lead questioning and investigations where possible.
Learning in science can be delivered in different ways. It can be a discrete lesson, a block of lessons or a sequence of lessons, which often links different subjects and learning experiences. Science topics are often linked with other subjects including English, Maths, Geography, History, ICT, DT, PE and Art. In addition, where possible, we try to ensure that
we add to their cultural scientific capital through science theme days and weeks.
​
In EYFS, Science comes under the area of ‘Understanding the World’ in EYFS. The new
Development Matters includes seasons and the weather, properties of materials, plants,
growth and lifecycles of plants and animals, forces, our bodies and senses and habitats. As
well as planned whole class topics e.g. the seasons, animals that live under the sea, we also
follow the interests of the children.
Picture
Assessment
We assess science using Primary Assertive Mentoring to ensure consistent recording, reporting and tracking of pupil progress in science across the whole school.
Primary Assertive Mentoring organises the National Curriculum Programme of Study for science into clear assessment criteria for every year group (stage) across the school. We consistently track pupil progress against the relevant criteria for individuals and year groups. The  ‘one sheet to view’ overview of children's performance across all areas which informs teaching, targets and interventions.


Picture
Science Progression and Long Term Planning
Science Subject Leaders, have created science progression documents which map our school’s curriculum coverage across EYFS, KS1 and KS2. The clear structure and incremental nature of these documents is designed to provide guidance as to what teaching and learning will be covered within particular year groups and key stages.
The progression documents have been designed to ensure that key concepts, skills and vocabulary are embedded across the school, as well as putting in place incremental learning steps which will continue to build on and broaden children’s scientific knowledge and understanding.
Children’s understanding, capability within and mastery of science will be supported through this progressive curriculum by:
  • Using continuous opportunities to retrieve previous knowledge
  • Providing opportunities for pupils to apply and secure existing skills and understanding.
  • Building new learning onto pupils existing subject knowledge, by highlighting and making links to core threads – key concepts and learning – which run across science modules and the wider curriculum.
By implementing this progressive curriculum for science, we will equip pupils with the key subject knowledge needed to meet the end of Key Stage Attainment Targets of the National Curriculum and the Teacher Assessment Framework for Key Stage 1 and 2. 
In science, the curriculum programme of study is broken up into discrete areas:
  • Plants
  • Animals including humans
  • Earth and space
  • Electricity
  • Rocks
  • Evolution and inheritance
  • Materials
  • Sound
  • Forces
  • Living things and their habitats
  • Light
  • States of matter
  • Seasonal changes
The progression document for each of these strands has built in opportunities to consolidate and embed previous learning. Pupils’ existing knowledge will be used as a starting point on which to build, then clear next steps will be implemented in order to support pupils in their development as scientists – ensuring that the understanding and concepts taught expand and extend pupils learning and support their continued progression, knowledge and competency.
 
Whole School Science Long Term Plans
File Size: 22 kb
File Type: docx
Download File

EYFS to KS1 Working Scientifically Progression
File Size: 20 kb
File Type: docx
Download File

KS1 to KS2 Working Scientifically Progression
File Size: 16 kb
File Type: docx
Download File

Animals inc Humans Progression
File Size: 519 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

Earth & Space Progression
File Size: 475 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

Electricity Progression
File Size: 482 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

Evolution & Inheritance Progression
File Size: 372 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

Forces Progression
File Size: 483 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

Light Progression
File Size: 507 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

Living Things & Habitats Progression
File Size: 318 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

Materials Progression
File Size: 505 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

Plants Progression
File Size: 499 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

Rocks Progression
File Size: 351 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

Seasonal Change Progression
File Size: 482 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

Sound Progression
File Size: 348 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

States of Matter Progression
File Size: 377 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

St James' C of E Primary School
Cromwell Range, Birch in Rusholme, Manchester, M14 6HW
Email: ​admin@st-james-rusholme.manchester.sch.uk
​
Tel: 0161 224 6173
  • Home
    • Family Support >
      • SEN Support
  • About Us
    • Our Vision
    • St. James' Charter and British Values
    • Staff
    • Governors
    • Friends of St. James'
    • School Parliament
  • Classes
    • Nursery
    • Reception
    • Year 1 >
      • Useful Links
    • Year 2
    • Year 3
    • Year 4
    • Year 5
    • Year 6
    • Home Learning Websites >
      • Early Years Websites
      • Key Stage 1 Websites
      • Key Stage 2 Websites
      • Mrs Fay's Spanish & Music Page
      • English as an Additional Language Links
      • Ryan's Guitar Challenge
  • News
    • Pupil and Visitor Feedback
  • Info
    • Calendar >
      • Calendar
      • Diary Dates
    • Parent Support Links
    • Admissions
    • Policies
    • GDPR
    • Equality
    • Curriculum
    • PSHE and Relationships
    • Special Educational Needs and Disability >
      • Manchester's Parent Carer Forum
    • Pupil Premium
    • Sports Premium
    • School Lunches and Milk
    • Uniform
    • KS2 Results, Ofsted and SIAMS reports
    • Forms and Letters
    • Vacancies:
  • Curriculum
    • Overview
    • Intent and Implementation
    • Diversity in the Curriculum
    • EYFS
    • Subjects >
      • English >
        • Reading
        • Phonics
      • Maths
      • Science
      • Religious Education
      • PE
      • History and Geography
      • Art and D & T
      • PSHRE
      • Computing
      • Languages
      • Music
  • Contact Us
  • School Day
  • Gallery
    • Our School
    • Our Day
    • Extended Schools
    • Visitors and Visits
    • OB2021 Mr Tomson