A welcoming community, growing and learning together.

Intent

At West Acton Primary School we strive to give all children a strong understanding of the world around them whilst acquiring specific skills and knowledge to help them to think and work scientifically, to gain an understanding of scientific processes and also an understanding of the uses and implications of Science. We believe science should be fun, encourage questioning and develop children’s curiosity.

We aim to ensure all children are exposed to high quality teaching and learning experiences, which allow children to explore their outdoor environment and locality, thus developing their scientific enquiry and investigative skills. Development of scientific vocabulary is key as this aids children’s knowledge and understanding not only of the topic they are studying, but of the world around them. We intend to provide all children regardless of ethnic origin, gender, class, aptitude or disability, with a broad and balanced science curriculum and for them to progress and attain to their potential.

• We ensure that the Working Scientifically skills are built-on and developed throughout children’s time at the school so that they can apply their knowledge of science when using equipment, conducting experiments, building arguments and explaining concepts confidently and continue to ask questions and be curious about their surroundings.


• As well as PPA, teachers have been provided with additional planning time to develop the science curriculum for their year groups with a science consultant and the Science Leader. This has been used to create a cycle of lessons for each subject, which carefully plans for progression and depth.


• Science planning draws strongly on Primary Science Assessment resources developed by the Pan London Assessment Network (PLAN) as part of the Association for Science Education (ASE).

Implementation

• Science is taught weekly in KS1 and KS2 and incorporated throughout the environment as part of the EYFS curriculum.


• Knowledge organisers which outline knowledge (including vocabulary) which all children must master are included for every topic covered.


• Science learning makes connections with maths skills, particularly data handling, consolidating learning from the previous year’s learning.


• Working Scientifically skills are embedded into lessons to ensure these skills are being developed throughout the children’s school career and new vocabulary and challenging concepts are introduced through direct teaching. This is developed through the years, in-keeping with the topics.


• West Acton Primary School has regularly taken part in the National Science Week in order to further enhance the science curriculum and excite children’s love for investigation and developing their scientific understanding

Impact  

Children at West Acton Primary School receive a high quality science education that covers all aspects of the EYFS and National Curriculum. Coverage of this can be seen in the Curriculum Map, Medium Term Plans, and in children’s books. 

In our 2020 inspection Ofsted said “Leaders’ work to improve (…) science plans has been positive. These are ambitious and identify what pupils should learn.”  

Curriculum enhancement takes place through the use of an external provider to deliver science shows for each year group linked to the curriculum, as well as with the children’s participation in Science Week. During Science Week there are exciting science demonstrations to inspire the children’s enthusiasm for science, assemblies, science competitions and all children participate in practical experiments.  

Some quotes from children at West Acton Primary School about science –   

“We get to use different things and we get to learn different things. We used a microscope to find out what’s in leaves and we split up a flower and said what each part was called.”  

“We do lots of experiments which is fun. We used magnets and we had to guess which is the strongest. We also did an experiments with magnets to see what it could hold.”  

“I like doing experiments too because seeing it actually happening is way better.”  

Cultural Capital

At West Acton, we aim to provide our children with the courage, skills and aptitude to enable them to make a difference in the world. By developing children’s science knowledge and skills they will be able to access all the potential opportunities available to young people in our society. In addition we want our pupils to know that science is relevant to their current and future lives, and to aspire to be the scientists of the future. This is addressed explicitly as part of Science Week where children have met a local scientist and researched scientists from a variety of diverse backgrounds.  A high-quality science education provides the foundations for understanding the world and at West Acton Primary School this is achieved by engaging children through practical, hands on learning reinforced with the use of the local area, school environment and trips in both London and further afield and introducing them to inspiring scientists. Topics and key skills are taught in Key Stage One and studied again in further detail throughout Key Stage Two. Children learn to understand their bodies in progressively more detail, develop their understanding of plants using the school pond and by growing things in the school’s gardening and planting area and investigate using practical resources both inside and outside the classroom. 

Home Learning

Home Learning in science is encouraged through providing parents/carers and children with a wide variety of activities to develop scientific knowledge and understanding. As well as recommended science activities on the school website and newsletters, children all have access to a vast array of interactive science games and learning through Espresso and Purple Mash which can be used at home.

Animals including Humans
About Me (Purple Mash)
Animals (Purple Mash)
Animals (Espresso)

Everyday Materials
Materials (Purple Mash)
Materials (Espresso)

Plants
Plants (Purple Mash)
Plants (Espresso)

Living Things and their Habitats
Animals (Purple Mash)
Habitats (Espresso)

Uses of Everyday Materials
Materials (Espresso)
Materials (Purple Mash)

Animals including Humans
Animals (Espresso)
Change Science (Purple Mash)

Plants
Plants (Espresso)
Plants (Purple Mash)

Animals including Humans
Bodies (Espresso)
Eating, Moving and Growing (Espresso)
Skeletons and Muscles (BBC Bitesize)
Digestive System (BBC Bitesize)
Health (BBC Bitesize)
Animals (Purple Mash)
The Human Body (Purple Mash)

Rocks
Rocks (Espresso)
Rocks, Soils and Fossils (BBC Bitesize)
Rocks and Soil (Purple Mash)

Forces and Magnets
Forces (Espresso)
Magnets (Espresso)
Forces and Motion (BBC Bitesize)
Forces (Purple Mash)

Light
Light and Shadows (Espresso)
Light and Dark (BBC Bitesize)
Light and Dark (Purple Mash)

Plants
Plant Life Cycles (Espresso)
Plants (BBC Bitesize)
Plants (Purple Mash)

States of Matter
Investigating Change (Espresso)
Materials (Purple Mash)
Changing Materials (BBC Bitesize)
Solids, Liquids and Gases (BBC Bitesize)

Sound
Sound (Espresso)
Sound (Purple Mash)
Sound and vibrations (BBC Bitesize)

Animals including Humans
Bodies (Espresso)
Eating, Moving and Growing (Espresso)
The Human Body (Purple Mash)
Health and Growth (Purple Mash)
Skeletons and muscles (BBC Bitesize)
Digestive System (BBC Bitesize)

Living things and their Habitats
Classification (Espresso)
Habitats (Espresso)
Life Cycles (Espresso)
The Environment (Purple Mash)
Animals (Purple Mash)
Food Chains and Habitats (BBC Bitesize)
Humans and the Environment (BBC Bitesize)

Electricity
Electricity (Espresso)
Electricity (Purple Mash)
Electricity and Conductors (BBC Bitesize)
Circuits (BBC Bitesize)

Properties and Change of Materials
Materials (Espresso)
Investigating Change (Espresso)
Materials (Purple Mash)
Changing Materials (BBC Bitesize)
Solids, Liquids and Gases (BBC Bitesize)

Forces
Forces (Espresso)
Forces (Purple Mash)
Forces and Motion (BBC Bitesize)

Earth and Space
Earth and Space (Espresso)
Beyond Planet Earth (Espresso)
Satellites (Espresso)
Space (Purple Mash)
Earth and Space (BBC Bitesize)

Living Things and their Habitats
Classification (Espresso)
Habitats (Espresso)
Life Cycles (Espresso)
The Environment (Purple Mash)
Animals (Purple Mash)
Food Chains and Habitats (BBC Bitesize)
Humans and the Environment (BBC Bitesize)

Animals including Humans
Bodies (Espresso)
Eating, Moving and Growing (Espresso)
The Human Body (Purple Mash)
Health and Growth (Purple Mash)
Skeletons and muscles (BBC Bitesize)
Digestive System (BBC Bitesize)

Animals including Humans
Bodies (Espresso)
Eating, Moving and Growing (Espresso)
The Human Body (Purple Mash)
Health and Growth (Purple Mash)
Skeletons and muscles (BBC Bitesize)
Digestive System (BBC Bitesize)

Evolution and Inheritance
Evolution (Espresso)
Evolution (Purple Mash)
Adaptation, inheritance and evolution (BBC Bitesize)

Light
Light and Shadows (Espresso)
Light and Dark (BBC Bitesize)
Light and Dark (Purple Mash)

Living Things and their Habitats
Classification (Espresso)
Habitats (Espresso)
Life Cycles (Espresso)
The Environment (Purple Mash)
Animals (Purple Mash)
Food Chains and Habitats (BBC Bitesize)
Humans and the Environment (BBC Bitesize)

Electricity
Electricity (Espresso)
Electricity (Purple Mash)
Electricity and Conductors (BBC Bitesize)
Circuits (BBC Bitesize)