Science

Intent

At Callington Primary School, our children are SCIENTISTS!

 Our intent is to provide every child with a broad and balanced Science curriculum which enables them to confidently explore and discover what is around them, so that they have a deeper understanding of the world we live in. We want our children to love science. We want them to have no limits to what their ambitions are and grow up wanting to be astronauts, forensic scientists, toxicologists or microbiologists.

 To achieve this, we create exciting, practical hands on experiences that encourage curiosity and questioning. Our aim is that these stimulating and challenging experiences help every child secure and extend their scientific knowledge and vocabulary, as well as promoting a love and thirst for learning.We want our children to remember their science lessons in our school, to cherish these memories and embrace the scientific opportunities they are presented with!

At Callington Primary School we are studying CUSP science.  Through this pupils become more expert as they progress through the curriculum, accumulating, connecting and making sense of rich substantive and disciplinary knowledge.

 Substantive knowledge - this is the subject knowledge and explicit vocabulary used to learn about the content. Common misconceptions are explicitly revealed as non-examples and positioned against known and accurate content. In CUSP science, an extensive and connected knowledge base is constructed so that pupils can use these foundations and integrate it with what they already know. Misconceptions are challenged carefully and in the context of the substantive and disciplinary knowledge. In CUSP Science, it is recommended that misconceptions are not introduced too early, as pupils need to construct a mental model in which to position that new knowledge.

Disciplinary knowledge – this is knowing how to collect, use, interpret, understand and evaluate the evidence from scientific processes. This is taught.

Scientific analysis is developed through our IPROF criteria. We call it ‘Thinking Scientifically.’

  • Identifying and classifying
  • Pattern seeking
  • Research
  • Observing over time
  • Fair and comparative testing

 The scientist is not a person who gives the right answers; they are the one who asks the right questions.’  

Claude Levi-Strauss

Implementation

CUSP Science is built around the principles of cumulative knowledge The effect of this a cumulative model which supports opportunities for children to associate and connect with significant periods of time, people, places and events.

 What we teach and when

EARLY YEARS

The Early Years Foundation Stage Curriculum supports children’s understanding of Science through the planning and teaching of ‘Understanding the World.’ Children find out about objects, materials and living things using all of their senses looking at similarities, differences, patterns and change. Both the environment and skilled practitioners foster curiosity and encourage explorative play, children are motivated to ask questions about why things happen and how things work. Our children are encouraged to use their natural environment around them to explore. Children enjoy spending time outdoors exploring mini-beasts and their habitats, observing the changing seasons, plants and animals. During the spring term children have the unique first hand experience of hatching and caring for live chicks.  Children regularly participate in cookery and baking sessions which allows them to experience changes in state as ingredients are mixed, heated and cooled.

KEY STAGE 1 

Pupils study the Seasons and develop an early conceptual understanding of how day becomes night. An understanding of change over time connects to the study of Plants, including trees. This focus enables children to associate trees as belonging to the plant kingdom and notice the changes deciduous trees go through connected to the seasons.

Contrasting that study, pupils learn about Animals, including humans. Non-examples of plants are used to contrast the features of an animal.

Pupils are introduced to identifying and classifying materials. Scientific terms, such as transparent, translucent and opaque are taught explicitly through vocabulary instruction and pupils make further sense by applying it to what they know and then to working and thinking scientifically tasks. This substantive knowledge is enriched by pupils’ use of disciplinary knowledge through scientific enquiry.

Within the study of Living things and their habitats and Uses of everyday materials new substantive knowledge is constructed and made sense of through Working and Thinking scientifically tasks.

LOWER KEY STAGE 2 

The unit on Rocks is studied and connected with prior knowledge from ‘Everyday materials’ in KS1. A study of Animals, including humans is built upon from KS1 and contrasts the physical features with the functions they perform, including the skeleton and muscles.

Rocks is revisited again to sophisticate and deepen pupils’ knowledge, advancing their understanding.

Forces and magnets are introduced and connect with KS1 materials, including twisting, bending and squashing. Contact and non-contact forces are taught and understanding applied through Working and Thinking Scientifically. The abstract concept of Light is made concrete through knowing about light sources and shadows. Plants are studied to develop a more sophisticated understanding of their parts and functions, including pollination.      

A study of Living things and their habitats pays close attention to classification and is directly taught using prior knowledge to ensure conceptual frameworks are secure. Animals, plants and environments are connected in this study with a summary focusing on positive and negative change.

Electricity is introduced and pupils acquire understanding about electrical sources, safety and components of a single loop circuit. 

Animals, including humans focuses on the sequence of digestion, from the mouth to excretion.           

States of matter and Sound are taught using knowledge of the particle theory. Practical scientific tasks and tests help pupils build a coherent understanding of the particle theory by applying what they know through structured scientific enquiry.

UPPER KEY STAGE 2 

Pupils reuse and draw upon their understanding of states of matter in the study of Properties and changes of materials.Change is also studied within Animals, including humans, focusing on growth and development of humans and animals.

Earth in Space develops the conceptual understanding of our place in the universe. A study of Forces sophisticates the substantive knowledge acquired in KS1 and LKS2. Enhancing this study of Forces, pupils learn about Galileo Galilei 1564 - 1642 (considered the father of modern science).

 Living things and their habitats focuses on differences in life cycles of living things and how they reproduce. This study also contrasts previous scientific thinking.  A further study of Living things and their habitats enables pupils in UKS2 to revisit and add to their understanding of classification through the taxonomy created by Carl Linnaeus. More complex animals are studied.

Light is revisited and taught with advanced substantive knowledge. This is physics study with a focus on the properties of light, not the biology of the eye.


How do pupils learn?

  • Class timetables have been built to ensure a broad and balanced curriculum. 
  • Subjects have been blocked in a spaced retrieval model to support catch up and to build the frequency of science and wider curriculum subjects. This maximises learning time and supports children’s understanding over time.
  • An essential component to CUSP lessons is the systematic and coherent approach that we embed focusing on the six phases of a lesson.

OVERVIEW OF KNOWLEDGE

Each unit includes an overview for the teacher which details the big idea that pupils will be studying, prior knowledge, skills to be taught and common misconceptions. The sequence of learning makes clear essential and desirable knowledge, key questions and task suggestions for each lesson and suggested cumulative quizzing questions. Links to suggested technology support all learners, including those with SEND to ensure task design is scaffolded to meet all learners’ needs.

KNOWLEDGE NOTES

Knowledge notes are an elaboration of the core knowledge found in knowledge organisers. They are an essential element of a CUSP lesson and support children thought all phases of a lesson. Knowledge notes focus pupils’ working memory to the key question that will be asked at the end of the lesson.  It reduces cognitive load and avoids the split-attention effect.

RETRIEVAL PRACTISE

Retrieval practise is planned into the curriculum through spaced learning and interleaving and as part of considered task design by the class teacher.  Teaching and learning resources and provided for class teachers so they can focus their time on subject knowledge and task design.

VOCABULARY

The units are supported by vocabulary modules which provide both resources for teaching and learning vital vocabulary and provide teachers with Tier 2 and 3 vocabulary with the etymology and morphology needed for explicit instruction details relevant idioms and colloquialisms to make this learning explicit.

 

We aim to provide a high challenge with low threat culture and put no ceiling on any child’s learning, instead providing the right scaffolding for each child for them to achieve.

SEND

At Callington Primary School, we aim for all science lessons to be accessible to all pupils. Lessons are adapted and scaffolded to ensure all students are supported and able to achieve. Clear and consistent routines support coherent formation of long term memory and reduce the cognitive load placed on learners. The teach, task cumulative sequence of a lesson, that draws on the 6 phases, supports SEN learners by chunking learning into manageable steps. The use of dual coded Knowledge Notes and resources provide consistent visuals to aid understanding and recall. Teachers are skilled at knowing and adapting to meet their learners’ needs. This can include targeting additional input, alternative ways of recording and the use of technology.

IMPACT

The impact of this curriculum design will lead to outstanding progress over time across key stages relative to a child’s individual starting point and their progression of skills. Children will therefore be expected to leave Callington reaching at least age related expectations for Science. Our Science curriculum will also lead pupils to be enthusiastic learners, evidenced in a range of ways, including pupil voice and their work.

HOW DO WE KNOW WHAT THE CHILDREN HAVE LEARNED

  • Questioning
  • Pupil Book Study (talking about learning with the children)
  • Talking to teachers
  • Low stakes ‘Drop-in’ observations
  • Quizzing and retrieval practise
  • Feedback and marking
  • Progress in book matches the curriculum intent

 

Example CUSP Science lesson
Knowledge note example