Science
Science is essential as it enables young people to develop their understanding of Science concepts and make sense of the world around them. It develops transferable skills including problem-solving, reasoning and enquiry.
At Southfields Primary we do all we can to ensure Science teaching inspires primary pupils. We have designed an exciting curriculum based on practical aspects of science with links to everyday life. Our 'Big Questions' inspire pupils to want to find out more using many transferable skills including teamwork, collaboration, discussion, turn talking, problem solving, making links to prior learning and experiences, reasoning and using careful observations, following lines of enquiry and documenting their findings to share them beyond their own understanding.
At Southfields Primary School, we believe children learn science best when:
- Children are asking questions
- Children make real life links with science in their own learning
- Children explore and plan their own investigations
- Hands on learning deepens learning and enthuses pupils
- Children gain mastery of scientific knowledge and apply it in a variety of contexts
Our vision has been underpinned by three main aims:
- Enthusiasm, Engagement, Excitement
- Questioning, Recording, Consolidating
- Investigating, Recording, Observing, Concluding
Our intended outcome is for all children to become enquiring scientists eager to explore the world around them, through our hands-on, minds-on, inquiry based approach to science which enables children to ask questions as well as investigate them.
Science is a core subject at Southfields and we have worked hard on our curriculum, planning, equipment, resources as well as up-skilling teachers and staff to deliver a first class science lesson. We spend at least two hours per week and also link science into other areas of the curriculum to support and encourage pupils to have a natural curiosity about the world around them as well as develop a good understanding and knowledge to support them in the future.
Much of our work is practical, hands on exploration and discussion - You need to talk to our pupils about what they know as they can talk and share far more than you would ever seen hidden in the pages of a book. As a school we have worked hard to observe the teaching of science and invest time in talking to our children and exploring the world around them. Teaching and learning in science is strong and teachers naturally inspire pupils to learn and develop their science knowledge and understanding. We want our pupils to investigate well because the curriculum inspires them and teachers are highly skilled at facilitating planning and supported pupils to use what they have around them, being inventive and using the wealth of resources indoor and outdoor well.
We work hard to measure how well the pupils are doing setting clear targets and assessing how well pupils are doing articulating this to parents not only in their knowledge but also in their ability to investigate and complete practical work.
We are proud of our mini laboratory and science resources both indoor and outdoor. We have worked hard to extend our equipment to meet the requirements of the curriculum as well as the pupils interests and enthusiasm. We are a forward thinking school, and we have invested time in working alongside national projects on science to improve our pupils provision. As a school we believe that the solutions to science in the future lay in the hands of the pupils today therefore Science is at the heart of the life of the school as much as we endeavour our pupils to develop a love of books we also want to develop pupils who think scientifically because they do ... we want them to question the world and around them and be in awe of how amazing the world really is.
The school is committed to Science and is a member of the Primary Science Trust
At Southfields, we proudly achieved the Primary Science Quality Mark in 2022
