Our Science Subject Manual contains a detailed overview of our curriculum.

Science at Sidegate aims to develop and foster a love of science for all of our pupils and their families. Underpinning the aims of the science curriculum are our school drivers. 

Pupils’ knowledge of the world is developed through the teaching and learning of essential scientific knowledge, alongside methods, processes and uses of science in their own lives, in the wider world and implications of science for the future. Pupils are encouraged to understand how science can be used to explain phenomena, predict how things will behave and analyse causes. Links between learning in science and other curriculum areas are systematically identified and opportunities to learn about current affairs and events further increase children’s knowledge of the world around them. Pupils develop communication skills, through both written work, discussions and more formal presentations; questioning is used to promote inquiry in all lessons. Pupils are taught to evaluate the quality and validity of the scientific discoveries they learn about, discerning the importance and relevance of arguments and ideas. Throughout the school, pupils are taught to identify patterns, similarities/differences, inconsistencies and errors in their own findings and reasoning. They are taught to read, interpret and present information that is represented in a wide variety of ways including images, maps, graphs, charts and tables.

Science at Sidegate promotes creativity, centred around pupils’ excitement and curiosity about the world around them; they are encouraged to suggest their own ideas, take risks, work collaboratively and solve problems. Pupils are able to investigate and explore their own questions, in order to understand the world through biology, chemistry and physics. Opportunities are provided for pupils to have freedom of choice in how to demonstrate their ideas and learning. Whilst learning about the work of key scientists, pupils increase their awareness of how people have used their imagination, original ideas and talents to shape the world, this engenders aspiration and in turn inspires children’s creativity.

Pupils have many opportunities to learn about science in the world of work today. During our annual STEM week, pupils are visited by ‘professional scientists’ to find out about and try their hand at a range of careers, these experiences raise pupils’ aspirations and plant the seed that a future career within the STEM industries are a possibility.

The importance of personal hygiene, healthy eating and how to become and remain physically healthy all contribute to developing pupils’ wellbeing. However, we understand the impact that building knowledge and vocabulary has on pupils’ self esteem and self worth, opportunities therefore for pupils to ask questions, present findings through spoken language and increasingly build and use technical vocabulary are explicitly given, these opportunities further contribute to pupils’ wellbeing and help to build a sense of self efficacy.