At Ramsgate Holy Trinity, it is our vision for our pupils to be inquisitive and life-long-learners throughout their time with us and beyond.

The 2014 Science curriculum fosters a healthy curiosity in children to find out about their world and promotes respect for the living and non-living. The school’s approach to science takes account of the school’s own context when setting its science curriculum and additional activities. Our school grounds and local area allow for the children to explore the world around them in a safe and engaging way. These outdoor spaces enable to school to fulfil the objectives of the science curriculum and to broaden the experiences of the children beyond the statutory requirements.

Through our teaching of science, the children at Ramsgate Holy Trinity Primary School are provided with fun, stimulating science lessons that give them opportunities to use precise vocabulary, identify cause and effect relationships and gain an understanding of working scientifically. It is our intention for children to experience the science curriculum through a hands-on approach which promotes the skills of questioning, working practically, investigating as individuals and in small groups, evaluating, making choices, and using scientific vocabulary in their writing and when talking to others. The children are given opportunities to use equipment, conduct experiments, build arguments and explain concepts.

We want our children to enjoy science and have the desire to ask questions about their world and enjoy exploring it beyond the classroom setting.

Curriculum Design

Ramsgate Holy Trinity follows a cross-curricular, topic-based approach to science and the foundation subjects. For many classes, especially in KS1, the topic of the term is also very closely linked to Literacy lessons.

The key knowledge that each year group is required to cover is informed by the National Curriculum and is built into our topic-based curriculum. The National Curriculum objectives have been mapped out for each year group onto a tracking and assessment grid and are progressive; we follow the National Curriculum Programmes of Study. 'Working Scientifically' enquiries and skills are embedded into each topic, ensuring a balance of enquiry types and also skills which are built upon year by year.

At Ramsgate Holy Trinity, we use a variety of teaching and learning styles in our science lessons in order to develop children’s knowledge, skills, and understanding, as well as resilience and a sense of enjoyment in science. We recognise that our pupils learn in a variety of ways and therefore teach to visual, auditory and kinaesthetic learning styles. Frequent opportunities are provided for high quality teacher to pupil, pupil to pupil and pupil to teacher dialogue and discussion. We encourage our pupils to ask, as well as answer, scientific questions.

Although teacher demonstrations are sometimes necessary during topics because of resourcing or potential harm to children, this is not the expectation or the norm. When walking around the school when science topics are being taught, there will always be evidence of children actively participating and being engaged in practical learning or talking about science to their teacher and peers.

Children present their learning in a wide variety of ways. We have chosen to ‘move away’ from traditional expectations that investigative work should be written up as a formal report. As a school, we understand that children learn in different ways and may not always show their full understanding within an extended piece of writing. Instead, the teacher will give the children opportunities to present their learning in a variety of ways, not just in written form. These may include showing their understanding through drama, recording themselves on iPads, creating animations or movies, photographs, pictures and diagrams, discussions, videos, posters, letters, to name just a few.

Where formal report writing is required, the class teacher will structure tasks so that they provide support, scaffolding and/or additional challenges for those that need it. By Upper KS2, children might, on occasions, be asked to write a completed, full report that shows their journey from the planning of the investigation, to the practical activity and recording of results and finally to making conclusions based on evidence.

Vocabulary

As the children progress through the school, they are introduced to new vocabulary. The children are encouraged to use their previous and new scientific vocabulary within written work and when expressing their ideas and learning to children and adults. Classroom displays reflect the topics being taught during a term. Vocabulary is on show as part of the classroom display and provides a reference for children.

Continuity and Progression

EYFS

The children begin their science journey in EYFS where much of their learning involves exploring the world around them. They spend time exploring the school grounds and answering ‘how’ and ‘why’ questions about their experiences and in response to stories and events. The children engage in open-ended activities, often child-initiated activities, take risks by engaging in new experiences and learn by trial and error. They are encouraged to use their senses and choose, handle and use equipment effectively. The children begin to develop ideas of grouping, sequencing and cause and effect. When recording their learning, children in EYFS create simple representations of events, people and objects.

KS1 (Years 1 and 2)

Much of KS1 also explores the world outside, plants and living things and materials. Throughout KS1 the children have opportunities to learn in practical ways and begin to ask their own questions. The children observe and answer questions about their observations, gathering evidence and presenting it in tables given to them. The children use simple equipment and follow instructions which require them to carry out actions in the correct sequence to complete simple tests individually or in small groups. The children continue to sort and group according to their observations and begin to use simple scientific vocabulary. By the end of KS1 the children are introduced to the concepts of fair testing and how to carry out experiments. The children also begin to use scientific language to explain what they have found out. Within Year 1, the children observe changes over time and begin to use simple comparative language.

LKS2 (Years 3 and 4)

Throughout Lower KS2 the children continue to build upon their knowledge of the world around them by studying plants, animals, living things and materials and their properties. They are introduced to the topics of forces, different types of rocks, light, sound and electricity. Much of the learning in Lower KS2 is revisited and developed further in Upper KS2. The children are encouraged to apply and develop their previous KS1 skills learning in practical science investigations where they begin to set up their own enquiries, recognising when a fair test is necessary. They make systematic observations using a range of equipment, including equipment with scales (for example, thermometers and data loggers) and record the results from their findings in a wider variety of ways, including tables, simple keys and charts. Using these results the children learn to draw simple conclusions with support, supporting their ideas with evidence.

UKS2 (Years 5 and 6)

Upper KS2 revisits and extends the children’s knowledge of light, electricity, forces, plants, materials and their properties, animals and living things. They are introduced to the areas of Earth and space and evolution and inheritance. By the end of KS2 the children are expected to recognise and control variables more independently when planning and carrying out their own investigations as they begin to choose their own lines of enquiry. They take measurements with greater accuracy and record their data in tables, keys, graphs etc that they have drawn and often developed themselves. The children record data of increasing complexity and use it to explain relationships and make their own conclusions.

STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) Ambassadors

At Ramsgate Holy Trinity, we recognise that STEM subjects are wonderfully creative, exciting and inspirational! We therefore have STEM representatives in each year group who have shown a passion for these subjects and who want to promote it within the school. Their role is to share experiences with their classes and share new initiatives. They meet regularly to try out new equipment, new ideas, help with the planning for school events and discuss ways in which the school can develop in STEM subjects.

STEM Club

We run a STEM club each week on a termly basis, alternating between KS1 and KS2.  The club aims to give our children enrichment activities that go beyond the curriculum.  Activities involve critical thinking, decision making, team-work and the development of leadership skills whilst boosting enjoyment and learning in the STEM subjects.