Intent

At Meath Green Junior School, our pupils are SCIENTISTS! Our mission is to provide every child with a solid foundation in science that will enable them to boldly explore their surroundings, learn about them as human beings and gain a deeper awareness of the world they live in. All pupils are given opportunities to plan and participate in a variety of scientific enquiries and investigations that are applicable to everyday life. As a result, we can introduce them to different careers in science without limiting their aspirations, and we encourage our pupils' ambitions, so they can become astronauts, forensic scientists, pharmacists, marine biologists and more! As we want the students at Meath Green Junior School to always remember their science lessons and experiences, we have chosen a hands-on approach to learning and working scientifically. Our children are encouraged to form hypotheses and make predictions, then put them to the test, fostering their inquisitive nature and strengthening their scientific thinking through information, theories and vocabulary. Our science curriculum has been thoughtfully planned to promote exploration with each child as the central component of learning. 

Implementation

Our Science topics are organised and divided out across the school in accordance with the National Curriculum.

• Each topic is taught as a block, so children can develop skills and knowledge. 
• Every year group will build upon the children's prior knowledge. 
• Enjoyment is promoted in all lessons and helps develop the children's interests.
• Lessons are related to real life situations, focusing on the Science Capitol. 
• Our teachers use effective modelling and questions are given to help children achieve the learning objective. 
• Adaptive teaching is clear within science lessons, through inputs, support, activity and outcome. 
• Children are given clear steps to success in order to achieve the learning objective. 
• Children are given clear opportunities to question, plan, predict, implement, participate and observe investigations and experiments, as well as a chance to draw conclusions from their findings and evaluate their investigations.  
• Children will present their findings in a variety of ways, including charts, tables and diagrams.
• Children are given opportunities to work individually and as part of a group.
• Children are exposed to cross-curricular learning through science, including writing, maths, history and geography. 
• Effective use of school visits and workshops are used to aid learning. 
• Children are given opportunities to peer and self-asses during science. 

Impact

The way our science curriculum is mapped out across each year group and the opportunities the children are exposed to allows for fantastic progression relative to each child's starting point. Every child will participate in fun engaging in high-quality science lessons that provide them with an understanding  of the ever-changing world around them. Our children will demonstrate a love for science and share successes and achievements with both their peers and the wider school community. They will become inquisitive learners who ask questions, who try to find the answers for themselves or at least suggest ways in which they can find the results they need. We aim to raise the scientific aspirations of our children, providing them with a platform to develop their scientific knowledge and skills as well as exposing them to the different careers and pathways available to them. Furthermore, our children will leave Meath Green Junior School with the understanding of science and the skills required to succeed in secondary education.