Intent

At Cedars Manor School, we encourage children to be inquisitive and have a love of learning through engaging and interactive Science lessons. We provide a supportive learning environment that allows children to explore scientific concepts through hands-on experiments and activities. Thereby empowering them to develop critical thinking skills and acquire scientific skills such questioning, predicting, observing and interpreting data to understand the World around them.

Implementation

Teachers create a positive attitude to learning Science within their classrooms and reinforce an expectation that all pupils are capable of achieving high standards. Our whole school approach involves the following:

• Science will be taught in planned and arranged topic blocks by the class teacher, to have a project based approach. This is a strategy to enable the achievement of a greater depth of knowledge.   
• We create a learning environment that allows children to apply their knowledge and find out answers for themselves. They are encouraged to ask their own questions and use their scientific skills and research to discover answers.  Planning involves teachers creating engaging lessons with opportunities for precise questioning in class to test conceptual knowledge and skills, and assess pupils regularly to identify those children with gaps in their learning. Investigations and experiments are designed to provide appropriate challenges to all learners, in line with the school’s commitment to inclusion.
• We build upon the knowledge and skills acquired by children from previous years. As their knowledge and understanding increases, they become more proficient in using scientific equipment, collating and interpreting results from science investigation enabling children to draw conclusions based on evidence collected. 
• Working scientifically skills are embedded into lessons. This includes new vocabulary and challenging concepts being introduced through direct teaching to ensure skills are systematically developed throughout children’s school career.  
• Teachers demonstrate how to use scientific equipment, and the various Working Scientifically skills in order to embed scientific understanding. Teachers find opportunities to develop children’s understanding of their surroundings by accessing outdoor learning. 
• Enrichment events such as Science week allows children to conduct investigations and share their research with other year groups. 

Impact

The successful approach at Cedars Manor School results in fun, engaging, high-quality science education that provides children with a broad range of skills and exposes them to different areas within the STEM field. Our engagement with local environment ensures that children learn through varied and first hand experiences in a rapidly changing world.