At RTS we deliver a curriculum, which is carefully planned and sequenced to ensure children acquire the scientific knowledge and skills, required to be successful learners. We value the importance and relevance of Science for all and ensure it is timetabled and taught weekly in every class.

We believe it is important to provide children with the growth mind-set to see themselves as active and successful chemists, biologists and physicists with the ability to succeed.  We enable children to talk and think like scientists. Our principles for outstanding science teaching were put together with our teachers and pupil ambassadors.

Principles of Science Teaching at RTS

Our high-quality science curriculum arouses curiosity, widens children’s understanding of the world, fosters an eagerness to question and enables children to make their own discoveries through first hand experiences and demonstrations. Children work scientifically and make connections between concepts, applying their knowledge and conceptual understanding to the ever-changing world around them. We nurture the children’s love of the natural world from an early age and value the importance of science in every aspect of daily life. We ensure our children have opportunities to learn inside and outside.  We aim to equip our children with the scientific knowledge and vocabulary to support their understanding of the uses and implications of science for today and the future.

We bring the principles of mastery to our teaching of science through making connections, building on prior knowledge, showing fluency in scientific knowledge, using different types of scientific enquiry, showing coherence in the way that we develop our scientific knowledge and skills, and planning for common misconceptions.

We believe that engaging practical investigations are key to deepening our children’s scientific knowledge, skills and conceptual understanding. We ensure that all children experience various ways of working scientifically whilst introducing and developing scientific concepts. They become familiar with five types of scientific enquiry: observing over time; pattern seeking; identifying, classifying and grouping; comparative and fair testing; and researching using secondary sources. The children will develop fluency in the use of scientific vocabulary, to describe ideas, objects and phenomena. which will be displayed on learning walls.

Opportunities are sought to enrich science capital through visits and experiences to embed their knowledge further. We have designed our Science curriculum to visit the work of a range of noteworthy scientists. These scientists have been specifically selected for their contribution to science in the key areas of our studies, whilst encompassing gender and cultural diversity to widen children’s aspirations and improve their science capital.

Science curriculum overview

At the end of their learning journey at Richard Taylor School, children leave our school with a love and appreciation of science and its relevance in their lives. Our assessments show they have the scientific knowledge and skills to build upon in KS3. Pupil and parent voice shows that children are confident, enthusiastic young scientists who take pride in their science work and the science reputation of the school.

Assessment in Science is used to inform teaching and learning. Teachers use the results of assessments to plan and deliver future lessons, which address misconceptions and ensure that students have learnt  key knowledge, are using identified vocabulary accurately and are using the required working scientifically skills.

We do this through use of half termly TAPS assessments to assess working scientifically along with formative assessments during lessons to assess knowledge through quizzes, concept cartoons, Explorify, SNAP shots assessments and targeted questioning.

Assessments are shared with colleagues to ensure that future learning can be built upon what the children know.

In Science we have integrated a range of strategies into lesson structure and delivery to support the inclusion of all learners. This ensures that all the children at RTS receive a broad and balanced curriculum that is suitable to the needs of all.

Some examples of this include:

• At the start of each topic teachers elicit children’s knowledge and identify interests and/or expertise the children bring to lessons. They make links to these interests to relate learning to real life, making lessons purposeful.
• A spiral curriculum (revisit and revise) – At the start of each lesson teachers plan time to revisit key vocabulary and facts from previous lessons. Children are also provided with opportunities to revise prior knowledge. This builds and develops their retrieval skills, strengthening their understanding and tackles any misconceptions which may arise.
• Learning is planned to engage different learning styles. Children can participate in hands on investigations and develop their understanding from first hand experiences. Vocabulary is often taught with actions to help embed concepts. Visual prompts and word banks are also used. Physical models are used such as creating the digestive system to learn about how food is digested.
• Children are provided with alternative ways to record, such as photos, Ipads, oral feedback, drawing diagrams, having labels, having a scribe. Cloze exercises may be used to reduce visual stress.
• Pupils may be set pre learning tasks/questions at the start of a new topic to encourage talk at home.
• Each class has a Science working wall which displays key vocabulary, facts and images of the current topic which are referred to regularly during lessons.

There are many ways that you can support your child’s learning at home.  These are a few of our favourite websites.

PSTT (Primary Science Teaching Trust) Science Fun at Home – Primary Science Teaching Trust (pstt.org.uk)

NUSTEM https://nustem.uk/science-for-families/

BBC KS1 Learning at Home https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/subjects/z6svr82

BBC KS2 Learning at Home  https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/subjects/z2pfb9q

The Royal Institution Activities and resources | Royal Institution (rigb.org)

Whizz Pop Bang. We enjoy reading these a school too. https://www.whizzpopbang.com/

Explorify. Once you have set up a free account there is lots to explore here. Activities – Explorify

The Great Science Share. We all love sharing our science at RTS. Erin loves all the amazing science ideas going on in other schools too. https://www.greatscienceshare.org/home#home-1