Intent 

As a Federation, our aim is for our children to recognise the importance of science in every aspect of daily life. We encourage children to be naturally curious of the world around them, whilst acquiring specific skills and knowledge to help them to think scientifically, to gain an understanding of scientific processes and of the uses and implications of science, today and for the future. We plan to use our amazing location in the heart of the Peak District to our benefit through links with Forest School provision at Edale Island, working closely with Peak Park Rangers from the Moorland Centre and planning enhancements to the curriculum linked to our local farming community and quick rail links into Sheffield and Manchester.  

                                                                             Implementation 

Our long-term science plan ensures that all children access full coverage of the National Curriculum Programme of study at both KS1 and KS2. This has been devised to be as sequential as possible to cater for our mixed year groups and we use the Plymouth Science scheme to support us in managing this. It has been designed using a clear progressive framework of both substantive and disciplinary knowledge.  

The 2014 National Curriculum for Science aims to ensure that all children:   

• develop scientific knowledge and conceptual understanding through the specific disciplines of biology, chemistry and physics   

• develop understanding of the nature, processes and methods of science through different types of science enquiries that help them to answer scientific questions about the world around them   

• are equipped with the scientific skills required to understand the uses and implications of science, today and for the future. We understand that it is important for lessons to have a skills-based focus, and that the knowledge can be taught through this.  

We believe that children learn best by doing, so wherever possible, they are given the opportunity to experiment and carry out practical investigations.  We know our children much prefer this approach. We have forest school sessions run weekly across the Federation, where the children learn how to respect the environment, work together, use their imaginations, explore, investigate and learn new skills.  

                                                                                  Impact 

Children will not only acquire the appropriate age-related knowledge linked to the science curriculum, but also skills which equip them to progress from their starting points, and within their everyday lives. 

All children will have: 

• A wider variety of skills linked to both scientific knowledge and understanding, and scientific enquiry/investigative skills. 

• A richer vocabulary which will enable to articulate their understanding of taught concepts. 

• High aspirations, which will see them through to further study, work and a successful adult life. 

• An appreciation of their local area and the opportunities it offers to be ‘scientists’.