Eastgate Academy Science Curriculum

Laura Warren

This science curriculum aims to equip children with the foundations for understanding the world.

Pupils will be taught units of work that cover and go beyond the requirements of the National Curriculum in the specific disciplines of biology, chemistry and physics. They will encounter people who have made significant contributions to the field of science over time, understanding that science has been a quest for understanding for many years, and will continue to be so in the future.

Pupils will build a body of key foundational science knowledge as they work through the curriculum, asking questions and developing a sense of wonder about the world around them. Following this curriculum will give children an introduction to content such as the inner workings of the human body, animals and the environments they live in, plants and their features, forces in nature, what lies beyond the visible and what lies beyond the planet we live on.

Over time their knowledge will strengthen and deepen. They will be encouraged to use the knowledge they learn in science and apply it to investigations. Importantly, substantive scientific knowledge is taught first, before pupils are asked to undertake enquiry. This helps them to fully understand the elements of the enquiry first, and to make informed observations about the processes they see. Gathering information, recording data, graphing data and interpreting findings are all essential skills that pupils will apply to new contexts as they work through the curriculum. Enquiries include observing over time, pattern seeking, identifying, classifying and grouping, comparative and fair testing and researching using secondary sources. Scientific enquiries provide children with a wealth of opportunities, but first and foremost they will help to deepen understanding of the nature, processes and methods of science as a discipline and how it differs from other subjects they are studying.

Pupils will gain an understanding of the purpose and uses of science both today and in the future. Throughout the science curriculum, children are taught that scientific discoveries have been made since time began. The children will learn about the work of different scientists.

 In Year 5 children learn about Jabir ibn Hayyan who is thought to have invented a crucial tool for the distillation process: the alembic. In Year 1 children learn about their senses and reflect upon the challenges faced by Helen Keller who achieved a university degree despite being blind and deaf from her early childhood. Importantly in Science, over time, children learn about scientists and their search for the truth. They learn that the people who have contributed to science, from Ancient Baghdad to Ancient Rome and beyond, are diverse and many voices make up the story of science.

This science curriculum builds knowledge step by step. Pupils have multiple opportunities to secure and build on their knowledge and understanding as subject content is revisited at points throughout the curriculum. This helps children to master the knowledge and concepts whilst building up an extended specialist vocabulary. This incremental approach helps us to identify knowledge gaps and look back at previous content if they need to close gaps in knowledge or understanding.

Our curriculum enables children to understand the important role that science plays in the sustainability of life on Earth. We want children following this curriculum to be equipped to go forth into their secondary education with curiosity, passion and a desire for discovery.