Science

Our school’s ”vision”: what are we striving for?

Our goal at Rice Lane is to develop a passion for Science and a greater curiosity in the world around us. Our lessons are designed to be accessible for all children and to teach them the essential skills and knowledge required to progress in the subject. Children will be encouraged to ask, analyse, collaborate and evaluate – and crucially, to embrace both success and failure as two halves of one whole learning journey.

Our school’s ”principles”: how is our vision being acheived?

– By providing a progressive curriculum that draws on existing knowledge from other lessons and life outside of school.

– By delivering ‘hands-on’ lessons that allow for experimentation and team work.

– By asking open questions that encourage discussion beyond yes and no.

– By tailoring support to the specific needs of the children in order to allow equal access by all.

– By using assessment as a tool for addressing misconceptions and moving learning forwards.

Working Scientifically

In order to become a strong scientist, our children need to practise and develop the skills to work scientifically. We will encourage the children to explore, question and problem solve in order to develop curiosity and carry out independent investigations, to gain a deeper understanding of the world around them.

• Observation over time
• Pattern seeking
• Identifying, classifying and grouping
• Comparative and fair testing
• Research using secondary sources

Key Concepts of Science at Rice Lane

Our science curriculum has been designed and sequenced to fit the national curriculum aims and to allow the children to build upon their knowledge from EYFS to year 6.

In order to become a strong scientist, our children need to practise and develop the skills to work scientifically. We will encourage the children to explore, question and problem solve in order to develop curiosity and carry out independent investigations, to gain a deeper understanding of the world around them.

Our key concepts are as shown below:

• Pattern Seeking
• Observation over time
• Grouping and classifying
• Using equipment and fair testing
• Research
• Seeking answers to problems through questioning
• Seeking answers to questions through collecting and presenting data