Science
Science - The Whiteoak Way
'The important thing is to never stop questioning.'
Albert Einstein
At the Whiteoak Academies, we aim to provide children with a high-quality Science education that lays a strong foundation for understanding the world through the specific disciplines of biology, chemistry and physics.
Through our Science curriculum, we aim to ensure that all children in our family of schools are able to:
- Make decisions about the uses and value of scientific work and achievements;
- Develop an understanding and respect for the natural world;
- Question, hypothesise, test and discover for themselves about our world;
- Investigate and explore the world around them.
In order to help provide our children with a curriculum designed to ensure a progression of understanding, skills and knowledge, we seek to ensure that our children are taught a variety of approaches to answer different scientific questions. By the end of their primary education, we aim for our children to be equipped to make informed decisions about the natural world, new technologies, their health and the scientific opportunities around them. Indeed, through scientific enquiry and our curriculum, we strive to nurture and provide our children with a broad range of experiences that inspires them to be curious, explore new opportunities and possibilities and develop their knowledge and understanding of the world around them.
Our Scientific Principles
Science Planning
Science is a core subject in the National Curriculum. We have developed our Science curriculum and programmes of study with the support of our Multi-Academy Trust (Lighthouse Schools Partnership).
We use a variety of teaching and learning styles in science lessons; in line with the National Curriculum. Our principal aim is to develop children’s knowledge and understanding of the methods and implications of science. We encourage the children to ask, as well as answer, scientific questions.
We use whole class teaching and group or individual tasks, in which children have the opportunity to engage in practical activities to develop their understanding of the nature and processes of science though a range of different types of scientific enquiries.
The children are provided with opportunities to work scientifically using approaches to answer scientific questions. We want our children to develop excitement and curiosity about how science can explain the world around them and could be used in the future. We want our children to build up and use technical terminology/ specialist vocabulary. Wherever possible, we involve the pupils in real scientific activities. Discussion is used to gage and address any misconceptions the children may have.
Lighthouse Schools Partnership - Science Intent
Science in the National Curriculum
In our Science work, we aim to encourage all of our pupils to extend their awareness of the way in which their lives are influenced by Science and Technology. We also aim to develop a questioning attitude in the children and an ability to use and apply scientific knowledge and skills.
The national curriculum for science aims to ensure that all pupils:
- 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 knowledge required to understand the uses and implications of science, today and for the future.
