Science Progressions of Skills

Science Curriculum at Moulton Primary School

At Moulton Primary School we have chosen to follow the CUSP curriculum for Science. CUSP is a central curriculum strategy that outlines core content in a spaced and interleaved sequence for Science. This is made up of a long term sequence that is supported by evidence-led learning modules and high-quality teaching resources that clearly outline what pupils should know, be able to do and remember at key points in their Primary education.

The curriculum has been used as the foundation for plotting key language that is instructed within the Science CUSP units. This ensures that pupils have the opportunity to learn and rehearse vocabulary in meaningful contexts, thus committing it to the long term memory.   Each CUSP unit is accompanied by a vocabulary module, which outlines core language to be instructed and specific teaching activities that can support this. These vocabulary modules are pivotal to unlocking core content within the teaching units and building pupils’ confidence and proficiency by engaging with learning more broadly.

Prior learning is mapped into every learning module to show and remind teachers of the previous provision pupils may have encountered. This enables teachers to orchestrate meaningful retrieval and connect past learning. This has an added benefit of giving new learning an organised place to be stored in the memory, and therefore retrieved. In the long-term sequence, we have deliberately planned relevant inter-subject connections that complement each other. For example, Rocks before Stone Age in Y3. Spaced retrieval practice has been incorporated to ensure areas of study are revisited, deepened and sophisticated. Some areas of the NC Science are very content heavy. These need revisiting for clarification and sophistication. An example of this can be seen in Year 1 through the revisiting of Animals, including humans to secure and deepen the foundational knowledge.

Intention:

Along with English and maths, Science is a core subject at Moulton Primary School. Our intention is that Science teaching:

• Inspires children to experience awe and wonder. It stimulates curiosity, creativity and innovation.
• Gives children the chance to learn through being hands-on and finding things out for themselves to gain an understanding of the world around them.
• Is exciting and practical, encouraging future generations to not only study science at secondary school, but also potentially to follow it as a career.
• Delivers the scientific knowledge and skills that pupils need to fulfil their potential and ensures all can take advantage of opportunities presented in later life.
• Is planned and sequenced so that new knowledge and skills build on what has been taught before and towards clearly defined, ambitious end points e.g. understanding theories of Evolution and how genetic information is Inherited.
• Addresses any gaps in pupils’ prior knowledge and skills (scientific, literary or numerical) so that all pupils can enjoy and achieve in science regardless of any disadvantage or SEND.

Scientific Knowledge and Skills:

Teachers at Moulton Primary School follow the National Curriculum for Science which builds skills and knowledge over time in a logical progression, systematically and explicitly so that all pupils acquire the intended knowledge and skills

Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS)

In the EYFS, science is included within the Understanding the World area of learning. Our children mainly learn about science through games and play e.g. which objects float and sink during water play, for example. These activities help children to develop important scientific skills such as accurate observation, prediction and critical thinking.

Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2

Certain topics are revisited each year but with increasing difficulty and with a slightly different focus each time e.g. Animals Including Humans is studied every year, with a very clear progression of knowledge and understanding over the six years: In Year 1 this involves: looking at the human body, recognising animal groups and sorting animals but by Year 6, this has developed into knowing the internal structure of the human body in relation to circulation, classifying living things based on complex characteristics and exploring scientific research into classification.

The Working Scientifically aspects of our science curriculum help children to become accurate, careful and confident practical scientists. There is a clear progression of these skills e.g. in Year 1 a child is encouraged to ask questions, carry out simple tests, record simple data and then try to answer questions but by Year 6, they will be able to plan and carry out a fair test by using equipment accurately and taking exact readings or measurements. They are also taught how to draw conclusions from their results and record them using a range of graphs and charts.