Welcome to our Science page. 

Opening the Mansfield GATE through Science

Generate

Children generate natural curiosity and desire to take risks through investigating things for themselves whilst using a wide range of scientific investigative skills and vocabulary.

Aspire

We aspire in broadening children’s horizons through expanding their scientific knowledge to not only go on and succeed at secondary school but to have the confidence and abilities to go on to pursue science created careers in the wider world and become the scientists of the future.

Together

Children work together to broaden their awe and wonder of science in their local community and the wider world around, making links and connections for themselves and developing an understanding of the diverse range of scientists.

Enquire

We enquire through deepening investigative skills through working scientifically. Encouraging an inquisitive learning environment and developing their own ideas and being brave and bold enough to challenge others.

 

Mansfield Primary Academy's vision

At Mansfield Primary Academy we aim to deliver a Scientific Curriculum which enables pupils to confidently and enthusiastically discover the world around them. Our Vision is to provide a Science curriculum that stimulates children’s curiosity through an interactive and practical curriculum incorporating a range of skills from the four key concepts within Science. These are working Scientifically, Physics, Biology and Chemistry. We strive to enable children to develop their scientific knowledge through inspiring and challenging experiences. These opportunities will allow children to explore the world around them and become confident investigators.

Implementation

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

Children are offered a wide range of extra-curricular activities, visits, trips and visitors to complement and broaden the curriculum. These are purposeful and link with the knowledge being taught in class. Events, such as Science Week or project days allow all pupils to provide broader provision and the acquisition and application of knowledge and skills, and opportunities are taken to enable scientific learning to take place outside of the classroom as often as possible. 

Impact

The successful approach at Mansfield Primary Academy results in a fun, engaging, high-quality science education, that provides children with the foundations and knowledge for understanding the world. Our engagement with the local environment ensures that children learn through varied and first-hand experiences of the world around them. The outcomes in Science books evidence a broad range of scientific knowledge that focus on working scientifically, Biology, Chemistry and Physics.

. Children review the agreed successes at the end of every session and are actively encouraged to identify their own target areas, with support from their teachers. Children also record what they have learnt comparative to their starting points at the end of every topic. Emphasis is placed on the ability to think independently and raise questions about working scientifically. Children require the confidence and competence in the full range of practical skills, taking the initiative in planning and carrying out scientific investigations which is demonstrated in written and verbal explanations, solving challenging problems and reporting scientific findings to help them understand the world in which we live.

Assessment

Assessment for learning is continuous throughout the planning, teaching and learning cycle. Children are assessed in Science against the National Curriculum objectives.

Assessment is supported by use of the following strategies:

• Observing children at work, individually, in pairs, in a group and in class during whole class teaching.
• Providing children with the opportunity to work scientifically when problem-solving and use their knowledge to investigate STEM activities which require explanations.
• Using differentiated, open-ended questions that require children to explain and unpick their understanding.
• Providing effective feedback, including interactive marking through green pen questions where appropriate, to engage children with their learning and to provide opportunities for self-assessment, consolidation, depth and target setting.
• Book moderation and monitoring of outcomes of work, to evaluate the range and balance of work and to ensure that tasks meet the needs of different learners, with the acquisition of the pre-identified key knowledge of each topic being evidenced through the outcomes.