Science

At Park Hall we intend to provide an exciting curriculum which offers all learners the opportunities to question, explore, investigate and challenge scientific thinking. Our scientists will gain a deeper understanding of the real and natural world around us, learning valuable life skills. We aim for science to spark awe and wonder through engaging and practical scientific based experiences that inspire curiosity, inquiry and questioning to importantly allow learners to ask the questions ‘why?’ and ‘how?’. We believe the high quality learning & teaching of science makes learning memorable. As our world is ever changing, we need to inspire a love of science learning to enable our learners to be the scientists of a sustainable and innovative future.

Our inspiring and aspirational science curriculum (based on the National Curriculum) is meticulously planned to identify the knowledge and skills that our scientists will acquire. Each small step in our scientists journey has been carefully planned to ensure a challenging and progressive curriculum to meet the needs of all learners.

Scientists will regularly revisit key concepts (over learning) and engage in regular retrieval practice which builds upon prior knowledge and enables them to make connections to deepen their understanding of new learning, committing this to long term memory.

Scientists engage in many varied opportunities to practise the disciplines of being a scientist. Scientists follow the principles of the EEF working scientifically seven step model.

Scientists are explicitly taught the knowledge skills and processes required to work scientifically. They are guided to apply this in practise, and engage in purposeful discussions and reflection. This model places responsibility on our learners as scientists, activiating hard thinking. Our learners know and understand how scientists learn about the natural world and can use and apply the same skills

Scientists develop secure substantive knowledge. Explicit links are made across the curriculum, deepening our scientists understanding and enabling learners to make connections.

Plentiful opportunities to revisit and build upon prior learning are woven into the curriculum so that key knowledge and skills become embedded into our scientists long term memory. This allows scientists to develop fluency and automaticity.

Cognitive overload is reduced as a result of the clear and explicit teaching of small step knowledge and skills.

Scientists develop a secure conceptual understanding as teachers make explicit links to prior learning and real life examples.Revisiting key concepts and plentiful opportunities to retrieve knowledge and practice and refine skills deepens scientists understanding. Connections between and across science and the wider curriculum embed knowledge. Scientists are engaged in highly effective questioning to develop a shared understanding of a concept, to encourage scientific justification and to explore ideas. Making connections secures and deepens our scientists understanding from novice to expert. Big ideas enable scientists to practice working scientifically skills.

Scientists are exposed to a variety of models and images which replicate concepts in a simplified and accessible way to limit cognitive overload. These relate to the real world by making abstract concepts visible to our scientists to deepen and secure their understanding.

Teacher explanations build on prior learning so that scientists make explicit connections, enabling them to know more, learn more and remember more.

Scientists are inquisitive and curious and love to explore and discover phenomena. They question, investigate and competently demonstrate their working scientifically skills. Scientists question, enquire, predict, observe, test, collect analyse and interpret data and draw reasoned conclusions from their findings. Our scientists have a secure and deep understanding across the disciplines of biology, chemistry and physics and they are able to apply their disciplinary knowledge to develop new knowledge.

Success For All