Science
Intent
At Greenfields Specialist School for Communication, Science is taught for numerous reasons. It promotes a sense of curiosity in the world about us and can lead to a better understanding of how or why things work. Science is a wonderful tool to encourage creativity within learners; starting with a question and allowing pupils’s room to try new ideas fosters creativity and resourcefulness. Science does not give answers straight away but allows pupils to search them out independently. Furthermore, Science allows a love of learning to develop as pupils can feel real accomplishment when completing a task or discovering something for themselves. Finally, Science encompasses both literacy and numeracy skills alongside sensory observations. The three sciences (Biology, Chemistry and Physics) are perfect to teach any theme through.
Impact
Learning about Science through the RIDE curriculum encourages pupils to engage with activities, become curious individuals and gives a desire to share what they have found out. A pupil who is able to communicate that they discovered something, they have figured out why a particular object behaves in such a way or they can remember the three states of matter gives them immeasurable self-confidence, pride and will continue to impact on their love of learning.
Implementation
We have a variety of science specific areas to allow pupils to discover their inner scientist. We have a dedicated school science lab with fully working gas and electricity supplies. An outdoor garden area which has modifications for our pupils to observe living processes in action and an immersive sensory room. In addition to these, classes have access to outdoor spaces and a vast selection of science based resources.
Across the curriculum Science is implemented in differing ways. Our pre-formal curriculum allows pupils to utilise the sensory room and complete investigations with their senses. They will discover the three sciences though observing and physical contact.
Our semi-formal curriculum allows pupils to study all three sciences but not always in discrete elements. Units will give learners the opportunity to discover an area of science in a number of ways e.g. ‘Electricity’. This would allow pupils to use and identify items of household equipment that use electricity and the type of energy produced. The identification would be completed in the learners preferred style.
Pupils working within the formal curriculum are taught in the discrete sciences and go into more depth e.g. Breathing and smoking. Scientific knowledge is taught alongside science specific and non-specific skills. Pupils will have opportunities to complete more complex investigations, use scientific apparatus and are required to produce end of topic tests and method write-ups., using their own preferred method of communication.