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Science
At Holland House school, we want every child to develop a sense of enjoyment and curiosity about the world. Science has changed our lives and is vital to the world’s future prosperity, which is why all pupils are taught essential aspects of both scientific knowledge and conceptual understanding. We aim to develop children’s excitement and curiosity about natural phenomena and encourage them to ask questions about what they observe. At this stage, it is vitally important that as well as obtaining knowledge and skills the children are enjoying science and are keen to explore and investigate to learn more. The children are encouraged to understand how science can be used to explain what is occurring in the world, equipping them with knowledge that will help and enhance our world in the present day and the future.
Our curriculum is progressive, ensuring the children’s learning builds on their previous knowledge and considers the learning they have undertaken in previous years. Each lesson starts with a pre-learning activity. This links the lesson to previously taught knowledge, skills or concepts and acts as an assessment of knowledge tool. Our aim is for children to become ‘scientists’ where they work and think scientifically to develop a secure foundation of skills, knowledge and understanding. Practical, hands-on experiences to our science learning also allows children to make meaningful connections to real life and have regular opportunities to explore, observe, ask questions, undertake experiments using a range of equipment and develop conclusions. The children are developing their ‘working scientifically’ skills and are encouraged to record their findings and questions using simple scientific vocabulary in an age-appropriate way.
Throughout their time at Holland House, pupils have the opportunity to experience science related trips and hear from visiting speakers such as health workers and real-life scientists whom we invite into school to share their scientific knowledge and talk about their role in the local community. Where appropriate, educational visits are planned to support the science curriculum, for example trips to the farm, zoo and Think Tank. It is Holland House’s promise to make a determined effort to widen individual experiences and give meaning and purpose to the activities undertaken, from developing activities within the school grounds to visiting exhibits and museums.
We want all of our teachers to develop expertise so that they are confident when teaching science. Training needs are identified through monitoring to ensure that teachers are equipped with the expert knowledge needed to teach science. Our science leader is an expert in her subject; making links with other leaders across the city to develop and evaluate practice. Staff meetings, including training days, are used to discuss and develop science teaching and learning and to ensure there is a consistency of approach, standards and expectations.
Children at Holland House infant school will achieve National Curriculum expectations at the end of Key Stage One. The learning outcomes are clearly stated on the medium-term plans for teachers to ensure appropriate content is taught. Impact is measured through key questioning within the lesson, knowledge retrieval activities and skill acquisition. The successful approach of teaching science at Holland House results in a fun, engaging, high quality and varied curriculum for our children, providing them with the foundations and knowledge for understanding the world. They will have a good understanding of key scientific concepts and skills and be able to communicate their ideas using simple scientific vocabulary.