CAMDEN JUNIOR SCHOOL SCIENCE POLICY

RATIONAL

Science is a process or way of finding out about the physical, biological and chemical world around us. It is a way of finding answers to questions that arise from our interaction with the environment, trying to understand the way things are and work.

Children are naturally curious about the world we live in and can find many inventive ways to investigate it. This develops mental and physical skills, enquiring minds and critical thinking. The way that science develops encourages this exploration.

Science has links to many areas of the curriculum. For example, enriching literacy by providing opportunities for developing language through argument and speculation, description and recording written work.

Links with Mathematics since science requires an application of mathematical skills. For example, work in measuring length, mass, volume, capacity, speed, time and temperature. It also includes analysis of statistical data and presentation of scientific results.

Finally there are links with Design Technology, IT and PHSE.

AIMS

o       To develop children’s scientific skills as set out in Attainment target 1 in the Key Stage 2 section of the National Curriculum.

o       To acquire the scientific concepts and knowledge as set out in the Key Stage  2 section of the National Curriculum of :

Life and living processes  (AT2)

Materials and their properties (AT3)

Physical processes (AT4)

OBJECTIVES

In order to fulfil these aims the following need to be carried out:

·        To teach Science using a child centred approach building on what the children already know. Children have naturally enquiring minds, which needs careful development for them to think critically and logically.

·        To teach the curriculum as set out for Key Stage 2 in the National Curriculum document. This has been organised so that topics are revisited twice in a child’s school life at Camden.

·        Each Year group will follow the school overview and the accompanying medium term plans (schemes of work).

·        To support the schemes of work to lesson plan, teachers will draw upon a range of resources as well as their own knowledge and experience, for example:

Beechwood lesson plans

Midas – yellow folder of resources in each year

Learning through science work packs.

·        To teach Science making appropriate links with environmental studies, technology, IT, Mathematics and English.

·        To ensure correct use of scientific terminology and language is used to deliver the curriculum.

·        To develop the following skills:

(taken from ‘Science in the Middle Years’ published by the ASE)

Observation – beginning with direct observation; later using tools to support the senses so as to gradually to make less obvious observations.

Classification – beginning with sorting things according to pupil’s own criteria; recognising similarities and differences; progressing to using official ways of classifying.

Prediction – initially from intuition and subsequently making use of own scientific knowledge; developing predictions and forming general hypotheses.

Experimenting – initially with simple fair testing and results; to increasing careful control of variables developing the ability to select more specialised equipment.

Measuring – developing an ability to measure using standard units with increased accuracy.

Considering evidence – by looking at patterns of shape and structure; simple patterns of growth and change later using precise patterns from measurements.

Explaining evidence – drawing conclusions by explaining in concrete terms cause and effect.

TEACHING AND LEARNING : SCIENCE AT KEY STAGE TWO.

PLANNING.

Each Year group will aim to visit all the attainment targets to ensure a balance and progression of science education.

Within each two year cycle all strands within the attainment targets will be visited once.(refer to OVERVIEW)

To use the Beechwood scheme of work and the QCA folder as a basis of planning each particular topic.(YELLOW FOLDER)

Each Year group will have the overview and POS for each particular topic and will write their own plans for appropriate activities to cover these objectives.

At the start of each new topic colleagues will discuss and organise their work.

It is imperative that all objectives are covered in the allocated time as there is no room to ‘spill over’ into subsequent year groups.

DIFFERENTIATION.

This can be accomplished by a variety of means and put into operation where the class teacher sees fit;

1.     By outcome.

2.     By supplying children with charts, tables etc to fill in. However, it is hoped that by Year 6 this should be kept to a minimum.

3.     Allowing an appropriate length of time for less able pupils and with realistic expectations.

4.     More able children to be given a challenging question, idea or concept to research and feed back to the class.

5.     By making effective use of classroom assistants to support less able/more able pupils.

EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES.

As written in the London Borough of Sutton Equal Opportunities in the Curriculum Policy Statement, we aim to reach out to all pupils and to match the learning opportunities provided to their needs so that they can develop their full potential.

ASSESSMENT.

This will be carried out at the end of each topic to enable children the maximum opportunity to demonstrate their knowledge and understanding of the concepts learnt.

Assessment will take the form of written tests devised by class teachers using Year 4 optional SATS and examples from end of Key Stage 2 SATS.

The class teacher will record marks and any relevant comments on an A4 class list sheet, with copies for themselves to use when report writing, Science co-ordinator and subsequent class teachers at the end of the year.

Sets of class science books will be sent on from Year 5 to Year 6 only for the purposes of revision for KS2 SATS.

Report writing will be done for end of year school reports and will be made up of evidence collected throughout the year and teacher’s own personal assessment.

MONITORING AND EVALUATION.

This will be carried out by the Science co-ordinator who will do the following:

Ø     Collect A4 results sheet from each class teacher for each test/assessment done at the end of the year.

Ø     To carry out a scan of plans written for each year group every two years.

Ø     To carry out a work scan looking at higher, middle and lower ability ranges to ensure continuity and progression.

HEALTH AND SAFETY.

Teachers should refer to the ‘BE SAFE’ booklet located in the science resources room before commencing on a new topic. This booklet outlines some aspects of safety in school science and technology for KS1 and 2. A record of this will also be made in Year group medium term plans.

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY.

Information Technology needs to be included in the teaching and learning of science. Children have access to school science software and a variety of online activities. A record of this will also be made in Year group medium term plans.

RESOURCES.

Resources are kept in the Resources Room towards the far window. There is a range of materials to support the teaching and learning of concepts;

Ø     Practical materials such as electricity equipment, materials, forces equipment etc

Ø     A range of teacher’s guides, photocopiable books and videos

Ø     Other equipment, books and videos that are used specifically by a year group can be held in a suitable location for that year group.

Ø     Although the science co-ordinator will monitor resource levels, it is advisable that colleagues notify co-ordinator in good time if things are required/need replacing.

Ø      

Staff need to obtain the necessary equipment at the start of a topic and return to the same place at the end. Children should always be accompanied by staff when collecting equipment.

Pupils’ own experiences are valuable in the teaching and learning of concepts and should be drawn upon where appropriate in and out of the class.

The school grounds can be used as an area of study with such areas as; habitats, seasonal change, position of the sun and shadows, sources of materials etc.

Each year group will organise field trips appropriate to their topics; Year 6 visit the Sutton Ecology centre for the study of habitats, visit Bough Beech Reservoir for the study of Materials.

Camden is also developing links with Nonsuch High school in order to compliment and further teaching and learning in science.

Send mail to jshort@suttonlea.org with questions or comments about this web site.
Copyright © 2002 Camden Junior School
Last modified: August 29, 2007