The children of Peterhouse Church of England Primary Academy face a greater number of barriers to their learning than many of their peers nationally, and due to this they find that their opportunities in life are limited. Driven by the Academy’s Christian vision and in order to meet the academic and spiritual needs of all, the Peterhouse science curriculum has been designed to offer chances, widen horizons and break down barriers to learning. A curriculum that by design makes the Academy a place where all can flourish, regardless of background or ability.
Spiritual development is nurtured in Science through opportunities for wonder and asking questions. Children learn about the world and how they can care for living things. They develop awe at the scale of living things and wonder about what is special about human life. As scientists, children demonstrate curiosity, take risks and share observations, investigate and reflect on what they have learnt.
Through high-quality science teaching, we aim to help our pupils understand how major scientific ideas have played a vital role in society. Develop a secure understanding of scientific concepts and how these help us to understand the world around us. We aim to prepare our pupils for life in an increasingly scientific and technological world; provide the children with the skills to help them understand the issues that impact their lives now and in the future.
At Peterhouse, we understand that children are naturally curious and we encourage this inquisitive nature throughout their time with us. We celebrate scientists and inventors who have impacted on our lives today and the opportunities the children could have in future careers. We ensure that the ‘Working Scientifically’ skills are built-on and developed throughout their school career so that they can use equipment, conduct experiments, build arguments and explain concepts confidently and continue to ask questions and be curious about their surroundings.
We understand that our children face a greater number of barriers to their learning and through teaching science we aim to overcome some of these.
We aim to overcome the emotional barriers to the children’s learning through science by instilling within the children that failures are useful for growth and to celebrate that some of the greatest scientific discoveries and inventions were a result of many failures and setbacks before being life changing.
To motivate the children and to show them that a good education opens many opportunities, we celebrate the works of inventors, scientists, doctors, engineers and have visitors in, to discuss their roles and what it took to get where they are today.
Cognitive barriers will not stop the children of Peterhouse from succeeding and thriving within science. The investigative nature of the subject creates curiosity and an eagerness to explore.
We understand that the children of Peterhouse may not have experienced as much as their peers so within science we offer a wealth of experiences for the children. These include visitors in school and school trips.
A great focus is placed on the teaching and embedding of scientific vocabulary within science lessons. This supports the development of the children’s language so by the time they leave Peterhouse they have a broad and rich vocabulary.
Science in the Early Years Foundation Stage is covered in the 'Understanding the World' area of the EYFS Curriculum. It is introduced indirectly through activities that encourage every child to explore, problem solve, observe, predict, think, make decisions and talk about the world around them to prepare them for lifelong science learning.
In Key Stage 1 and 2, science at Peterhouse, is taught weekly. Ensuring the children are fully immersed within the learning; clear links can be made to reading, writing and maths where possible and knowledge is scaffolded year on year. Working scientifically skills are embedded within lessons and teachers make sure that the key five areas are taught across the topics within the year.
Each new topic starts with the children being introduced to the new learning through a knowledge organiser and key vocabulary for the topic. Throughout the year, week and at the start of every lesson previous learning is revisited in a variety of ways. Quadrants are used at the start of every science lesson that cover last lesson, last week, last topic and last term. Retrieval questions are used throughout the year to ensure gaps in knowledge are filled and learning isn’t forgotten.
To ensure our pupils receive a robust curriculum which enthuses and challenges them we ensure that:
These could be seen over one lesson or a series of lessons.
Children's understanding in science is assessed in a variety of ways. Teachers will use a range of strategies (questioning, quizzes, knowledge maps, retrieval activities, assessment of written work and practical activities) to check the children's understanding.