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Chaddlewood Primary School

Chaddlewood Primary School

Science

Joe Conway
Science Co-ordinator

jconway@chaddlewoodschool.org.uk

 

'A Chaddlewood scientist has the skills, knowledge, techniques and enthusiasm  to ask questions and find answers while working scientifically. They have amassed an understanding of scientific areas in a progressive way and have developed the vocabulary and recording skills to describe what they are learning and discovering about the world.'

How is Science planned at Chaddlewood? 

Science lessons are driven by key questions, facilitating an enquiry-based approach to learning, which is underpinned by the National Curriculum programmes of study for each unit. Lessons are driven by these key questions, with each lesson seeking to answer a specific question that is linked to the overall scheme of work. Key questions are developed from the National Curriculum statutory requirements. By focusing on the key knowledge, we ensure that pupil understanding is secure and carefully sequenced to expedite the progression of scientific learning.

Interplay between substantive and disciplinary knowledge can be observed during practical activities, where pupils are actively encouraged to make links between what they know (substantive knowledge) and how to apply this (disciplinary knowledge). Pupils are encouraged to recognise that the application of disciplinary knowledge helps them acquire new knowledge or adapt their thinking. Links between substantive and disciplinary knowledge, the products and the practices of science, are made explicit. This ensures that pupils not only know ‘the science’; they also know the evidence for it and can use this knowledge to work scientifically. Teaching at Chaddlewood develops pupils’ substantive knowledge and their disciplinary knowledge simultaneously through carefully sequenced units of work, with opportunities for the application of knowledge woven into schemes of learning, rather than serving as standalone lessons.

The planning format is designed in phases with immersion, review and assessment and knowledge rich sections intrinsic to the plans. Planning provides the opportunity to embed previous learning and develop links between lessons and key concepts. By revisiting previously taught knowledge and concepts, key knowledge is brought to the forefront of pupils’ working memory, supporting cognitive load and allowing pupils to make new connections in their learning. Connections are also made at the beginning of a science topic, where explicit links are made to when the topic was previously taught (e.g. Y6 Electricity will look at the key knowledge taught in Y4 Electricity) to consolidate and deepen understanding, allowing pupils to use what they have previously learnt to help them.

Disciplinary Concepts

Why are these our key concepts?

Our key concepts were identified through a thorough review of the National Curriculum, OFSTED’s Science Research Review Series, and evidence-informed resources from Chris Quigley. These sources provided a robust foundation for evaluating our planning and pinpointing the essential components of lessons that contribute to effective Science teaching. This process ensured that our approach is both research-driven and aligned with best practices for fostering understanding and engagement in Science.

How do we check that pupils have understood before we move on? 

At the beginning of a science topic, pupils are exposed to the key questions from when that topic was previously taught (e.g. Y6 Electricity will look at the key knowledge taught in Y4 Electricity) and explicit links are made to the key knowledge that was taught to consolidate and deepen understanding, allowing pupils to use what they have previously learnt to help them and allowing teachers to address any misconceptions.

We use retrieval practice and 'challenge grids' to reinforce key knowledge and embed essential themes. These tools help gauge pupils' understanding against the key questions and guide planning adjustments based on outcomes.

Assessments are conducted both formatively and summatively, using elicitation of prior knowledge and retrieval grids. In Years 5 and 6, pupils complete more open-ended retrieval activities, providing opportunities to demonstrate their broader understanding of the key questions.

An impact document is used to evaluate the effectiveness of learning. Lessons or content that prove less effective are revised for the following year, and feedback is shared with previous teachers if knowledge gaps are identified.

Additionally, termly book scrutinies are conducted by the science coordinator. These reviews assess the effectiveness of key concepts, including disciplinary literacy, knowledge retrieval, subject content clarity, and working scientifically skills, ensuring continuous improvement.