Science

Science Overview

Intent

The intent of our Science curriculum is for all learners to be offered opportunities to experience scientific concepts and scientific enquiry-based activities, developing knowledge and understanding of the world around them. The broad range of experiences will enrich and enhance the learner’s understanding of their familiar world and environment. Science is concerned with enabling the learner to gain knowledge and understanding of the physical and biological aspects of their environment. Small signs of interest are nurtured, and the learner’s curiosity is stimulated and encouraged through incidental, playful and structured opportunities for exploration. As the learner’s skills of observation and investigation are developed, work can be broadened to include the wider environment.

Our Science curriculum provides the foundations for understanding the world, and where relevant is delivered through the specific disciplines of biology, chemistry and physics. All learners should be taught essential aspects of the knowledge, methods, processes, and uses of science to gather and understand information to enhance life-long learning and development of transferable skills. It is very cross curricular for learners who are not accessing formal learning. The curriculum intends to provide real life experiences to enable learners to explore the world around them indoors and outdoors. We want learners to be curious, involved, and independent, intensively engaged in activities and show persistence to support a deeper level of learning and development. The Science curriculum intends to generate curiosity and confidence to explore and to learn about how our world works. To provide an inclusive and adaptive science curriculum, vehicles for learning in science-based sessions may include a selection of stories, non-fiction, rhymes and poems that will foster learners understanding of a culturally, socially, technologically and ecologically diverse world. This helps build important knowledge, extending familiarity with words that support understanding across domains.

Our broad, balanced, and ambitious Science curriculum covers all key concepts of scientific enquiry and investigation to facilitate all learners working towards their own aspirations. Learners are equipped with the scientific knowledge required to understand the uses and implications of science today and for the future, that is accessible at their level. As learners progress, they are given opportunities to develop an understanding of nature, processes, and methods of science through several types of science enquiries that help them to answer scientific questions about the world around them.

Underpinning our curriculum are our three core values of Achievement, Equality and Independence.

Implementation

The teaching of science is about discovery, cultivating curiosity and making connections but also very functional; supporting learners to be as independent as possible in everyday life.

Our Science curriculum utilises three frameworks – Birth to 5 Matters, The Engagement Curriculum, and The National Curriculum. These frameworks underpin our objectives for all learners throughout our learning pathways.
Learners’ individual Education, Health and Care Plan outcomes are also a key priority when planning the implementation of this subject.

The delivery of Science is based upon an integrated approach to education focussing on each learner’s unique starting point, abilities, and potential and organised to reinforce and build upon prior knowledge. The curriculum approach begins with supporting learner’s through understanding the world by exploring the learning environment around them both indoors and outdoors. Learning environments are created to promote a high level of curiosity and exploration for those accessing continuous provision and sensory curriculums. Activities are carefully planned following learners’ needs and interests, cultural events, and real-life experiences so that they can learn and explore the world around them. Scientific exploration and investigation provision include a variety of natural, sensory, and stimulating sessions and include resources that develop exploration, engagement, motivation, curiosity, and critical thinking. Building on solid foundations, learners demonstrate greater concentration and involvement levels and are absorbed in their own learning. Teaching staff are responsive in sessions as they address any misconceptions or gaps in learning through a flexible and creative curriculum, ensuring learners are supported and challenged at the appropriate level.

Pedagogies such as individualized learning focus and sensory accessible scientific environments underpin the scientific learning at Hope. Key strategies including using clear, simple language alongside teaching approaches such as Attention Autism, Curiosity baskets, and other intervention programmes e.g. Flo Longhorn’s Senseology resources, feature in our deployment of scientific skills and enquiry concepts at its earliest stage. Where appropriate formal learners participate in subject specific scientific skill development. We have recently invested in the White Rose Science Curriculum materials to support learning across pathways to ensure we are building on prior knowledge within the subject.

Rationale

All learners at Hope School and College experience scientific enquiry to enable them to gain knowledge and understanding of the physical and biological aspects of their environment.

At Hope School and College, we encourage learners’ scientific thinking and how it can be nurtured to ensure real understanding of their everyday environment. This includes concepts such as time, weather, changes in materials, plants and animals, and the wider world.

The teaching of Science begins with an immersive practical or multi-sensory approach and develops as per the cohort of learners and their individual need. We introduce new concepts, build on prior knowledge and address misconceptions. Strategies may include Attention Autism, continuous provision, intensive interaction or more formal pedagogies such as practical experiments and investigations.

Science can be explored through exposure to a multi-sensory environment; it can be accessed practically, contextually, discretely, and with much more emphasis, if it is taught alongside another learning vehicle. Our curriculum reflects that a learner’s scientific development arises out of daily experiences in a rich and interesting environment. Our school environment lends itself to a thematic approach utilising our interactive and immersive spaces.
It is vital that the language associated with Science is taught alongside new concepts and skills. This language is highlighted on our medium-term plans and can be referenced in form on displays, symbol support and signing where appropriate.

Science is embedded in the everyday curriculum at Hope School and College. We provide opportunities that enable learners to practice and embed their skills and knowledge in a variety of functional contexts and situations. This will be developed through stories, songs, games, sensory and imaginative play leading to more practical contextual learning. The resources used have the purpose of promoting enjoyment for learning and the experimentation of scientific concepts.

Learners communicate in a variety of ways. Our Science curriculum reflects this by following a universal approach encompassing a variety of technologies, visual supports and simple language when asking questions, giving directions, presenting concepts, and offering explanations.

Learners may have difficulty generalising skills to new contexts. Learners may require repeated opportunities to consolidate a new skill in one “experience” and transfer this skill across a range of different “experiences”.  This repetition and coverage of Science is stipulated in long term plans which ensures coverage and breadth of the topic.

Science at Hope School and College

Science in our Complex Learning Pathway

Learners with complex medical needs and PMLD will access a Science curriculum devised alongside the Attending section of the Engagement curriculum. They will explore Science through a multisensory approach which is embedded as part of their holistic experience of education at Hope School and College. Assessment within this pathway is non-subject specific and is assessed using the Engagement steps B Squared Assessment Tool under the Cognition and Learning umbrella.