Intent

In line with the National Curriculum, at Kew Riverside, our Science curriculum aims to ensure that all pupils have opportunities to;

• Ask enquiry questions to drive learning such as ‘why do we have night and day?’ or ‘why did the dinosaurs become extinct?’
• Have meaningful learning experiences that embed scientific principles within real-world contexts relevant to their own lives.
• Develop and revisit subject knowledge across a range of biological, physical and chemical scientific areas.
• Learn and utilise a range of scientific enquiry skills, such as observing closely and pattern seeking, through investigations that they plan themselves.  When equipped with both subject knowledge and scientific enquiry skills, our children will be well placed to make sense of the world around them, answering their own questions.
• Question scientific ideas and use these enquiry questions to collaboratively plan investigations through which they can test their hypothesis. Children will discuss how to ensure they conduct fair tests.
• Make predictions and record results during an investigation, selecting the most appropriate recording method as they progress through the school.
• Draw conclusions from their investigation, reflecting on their findings, and share their conclusions in a range of ways. Older children in the school will reflect on changes they could make to investigations in the future.
• Our whole-school focus unit on the UN Sustainable Development Goals provides an opportunity to apply scientific knowledge and skills to a real-world context, considering global issues through a scientific lens.

Curriculum Implementation

Placing scientific enquiry and investigation at the core of our Science curriculum enables us to offer our children rich learning opportunities through which to explore our world. We teach our children to be resilient learners, who ask questions and have the independence to seek their own answers, supported by high quality teaching.

 

In Reception and Year 1 children explore Science in real world contexts through continuous provision, whilst Year 2-6 have weekly lessons. Each term children learn about a new Science topic, beginning with a chance to ask questions and share their knowledge, before embarking on their learning journey together. At the end of the topic, children have the opportunity to revisit their earlier questions and to share their new understanding. We follow the National Curriculum which organises the teaching of Science into three disciplines: biology, chemistry and physics.

Biology Units:	Chemistry Units:	Physics Units:
Animals including humans Living things and their habitats Plants Evolution and inheritance	Materials Rocks States of matter Properties and changes of materials	Sound Light Electricity Forces Space

 

Alongside the topics covered by the National Curriculum, we finish the school year with a whole school focus on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Each class explores one of the 17 SDGs through a scientific lens, applying the knowledge and skills they have learnt throughout the year. We believe that this real life application of science, within a global context, will enable our children to see how Science is fundamental to life on our planet and equip them with the skills to actively protect and improve our world.

 

A Science unit is supported by a Knowledge Organiser which details the conceptual knowledge, vocabulary, skills and learning steps for each topic.

 

Enrichment

• Science trips: Kew Gardens (workshop and self-led), London Wetland Centre, Pensford Field, Juniper Hall, RSPB visit.
• Science week: themed workshops, class-swap science, child-led activities, science in our community.
• Community opportunities: the children tend their allotment throughout the year, with the help of parents, using these experiences to support scientific understanding of plants and growth.