“Nothing in life is to be feared, it is only to be understood. Now is the time to understand more, so that we may fear less.” Marie Curie

Marie Curie (1867 - 1934) was the first woman to be awarded a Nobel Prize in 1903 for her contributions to physics. She was again awarded the 1911 Nobel Prize for her contributions to chemistry. Although we may fear the unknown, it should not limit our desire to understand the unknown.

Intent: What are we trying to achieve? 

At Crane Park Primary School, our aim is to provide a high-quality, broad, and balanced science education to all our students. We strive to secure and extend scientific knowledge, develop working scientifically skills, promote a love of science, and inspire pupils to consider a future career in science. We strive to embed curiosity in the natural world and an understanding of our impact on the planet. Our goal is to equip pupils not only with the minimum statutory requirements of the science National Curriculum but also to prepare them for the opportunities, responsibilities, and experiences of later life.

Implementation: How is the curriculum being delivered? 

In order to achieve our intent, every year group at Crane Park Primary School will build upon the learning from prior year groups, thereby developing a depth of understanding and progression of skills. Our teachers promote enjoyment and interest in the scientific disciplines of Biology, Chemistry, and Physics, as well as introducing key scientists within each field. Children will have opportunities to explore, question, predict, plan and carry out investigations to and make observations, presenting their findings in order to draw logical conclusions.

To support our students in their ability to ‘know more and remember more’, there will be regular opportunities to review the learning taken place in previous topics and lessons. Prior to starting each unit of work, children will review previous learning and share what they already know. Effective CPD is available to staff to maintain high levels of confidence and knowledge.

Teachers at Crane Park Primary School will access a range of resources and planning from the Learning Challenge Curriculum to support their teaching. Educational visits and visitors will be utilised to enrich and enhance learning experiences. Highly effective assessment for learning will be conducted in each lesson to ensure that misconceptions are addressed. Pupils will regularly engage in self or peer assessment, which will inform planning and preparation. Effective modelling by teachers will ensure that children can achieve their learning intentions. Differentiation will cater to the needs of all pupils to ensure they access the curriculum.

Assessment will take the form of multiple-choice quizzes, observations during lessons, verbal feedback, pupil voice, and work scrutiny. Summative judgements (Working Towards or Working At) will be recorded in end-of-year reports for KS2 pupils.

Cross-curricular links with other subjects such as Maths, English, and Computing will be planned to enhance the learning experience.

Impact: What difference is the curriculum making? 

The impact of our science teaching at Crane Park Primary School will be measured by a wide variety of skills linked to both scientific knowledge and understanding, as well as scientific inquiry and investigative skills. Students will engage in meaningful, memorable learning experiences, gain an understanding of their local area, and discover careers in science-related industry by engaging with scientists within these fields.

Furthermore, students will develop a richer vocabulary that will enable them to articulate their understanding of taught concepts, have high aspirations that will guide them towards further study, work, and a successful adult life.

If you visited a Science lesson at Crane Park you would see:

Pupils confidently using scientific vocabulary in discussion with adults and their peers.

A large range of resources being used by children to support their learning.

Children working collaboratively to explore their learning challenge questions.

Well-considered science working walls to support children with their learning.

Well-informed staff enthusiastically delivering well-planned and engaging lessons.

A variety of writing, diagrams and graphs and tables used to present findings neatly in children’s books.

Pupil Voice

Year 2 pupil – ‘I like going outside in science lessons to find out a lot about trees, leaves and berries.’

Year 4 pupil- ‘We learnt about sound by looking at musical instruments and it was really interesting!’

Year 5 pupil- ‘I like it when we watch videos to help us learn.’

Year 6 pupil – ‘We experimented with electrical equipment to build circuits, which made us feel like real engineers.’

Cultural capital

We ensure our children are provided with extra-curricular experiences to enhance their knowledge across the science curriculum through workshops, off-site trips and participation in British Science Week. These opportunities are carefully selected each year to enrich children’s learning and deepen their scientific understanding, taking advantage of the large range of scientific museums and sites in and around London. 

How do the pupils at Crane Park Primary School develop the school values through Science?

We have created a set of values that we feel are critical to becoming effective learners. We want to enable our children to be ‘lifelong learners’ by following our lifelong values:

Aspiration - developing higher order thinking skills and question the way in which the world works, promoting their understanding and problem-solving skills to become future scientists and innovators.

Respect – listening to the ideas of others and respectfully debating and challenging each other.

Integrity – feeling confident to take risks and admit when their predictions turn out to be disproved through their work, using these opportunities to learn.

Responsibility – handling equipment safely and carefully. They also learn to respect plants and animals in the natural world.

Co-operation – sharing resources and working collaboratively on investigations.

Kindness – supporting their peers, navigating complex topics sensitively especially ideas around development and the human body.

“The important thing is to never stop questioning!”

Albert Einstein

“Every brilliant experiment, like every work of art, starts with an act of imagination.”

Jonah Lehrer."