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Science
Miss Tomlinson - Science Leader
At Whitkirk Primary School, we believe that a high-quality science education provides the foundations for understanding the world through the specific disciplines of biology, chemistry, and physics.
At Whitkirk Primary School, we offer a Science curriculum that is well connected to the school and local environment, providing a wealth of opportunities to explore, interact, work and learn outdoors including within that local grounds of Temple Newsam.
We use Snap Science as our programme of study for science. In response to the wealth of evidence about the benefits of children experiencing the natural world first-hand, outdoor learning is a key feature of Snap Science. Every year group explores the module ‘Our Changing World’ which offers pupils regular opportunities to explore all aspects of their outdoor environment and build up a rich understanding of how it changes over the year.
Snap Science has science enquiry at its heart and therefore our pupils develop the key scientific knowledge and skills through working scientifically, asking questions and testing ideas against evidence. We have made very careful and deliberate choices to adapt Snap Science modules to develop a well-planned series of lessons incorporating activities within the local community. This ensures pupils’ engagement with the different types of science enquiry identified in the National Curriculum and also provides meaningful opportunities for the pupils to explore.
All lessons are stimulated by a question for pupils to answer, a scientific phenomenon to investigate or a problem to solve. It fully supports our vision and the intent of our curriculum.
Our Science curriculum, aided by Snap Science, ensures progression of knowledge and skills between the EYFS, KS1 and KS2. It provides opportunities for revisiting the themes/knowledge and skills and gives pupils the opportunity to build on their prior learning and ensure progression.
We understand the need for all pupils to develop their scientific ability as an essential component of all subjects and as a subject in its own right.
A good understanding of scientific knowledge and conceptual understanding helps to support pupils' work across the curriculum. This is embedded through the use of high quality texts linked to the content taught throughout each year.
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Every lesson in Snap Science is carefully planned around a question that pupils should answer, ether in the classroom or in the local community. Genuine curiosity leads to authentic, purposeful science investigation so each ‘explore’ activity is followed by a differentiated enquire challenge where pupils will collect and analyse data in order to answer their questions and develop their scientific understanding and knowledge. Mostly, pupils’ science investigations will involve them in first-hand collection, recording and analysis of data, although sometimes they will use secondary sources of evidence or information to answer questions.
Our science curriculum stimulates and develops children’s natural curiosity and enthusiasm for the subject and the world around them. We are proud of our pupils’ learning and celebrate their enthusiasm and achievement in science.
We proudly achieved the Primary Science Quality Mark GILT in 2023, a recognition of the high quality teaching, learning and leadership of Science provided at Whitkirk Primary School.
