At La Fontaine Academy, we have a rich, enquiry filled science curriculum. It has been designed to give our children access to the knowledge that has formed the basis of major scientific discoveries throughout our history, and the key figures who enabled these discoveries to change the way we live, think about, and understand the world around us.
The underlining principle is to encourage all children to feel safe questioning what they see and what they believe. Through the effective management and support of our learners’ inherent curiosity, specific lines of scientific enquiry can be explored and nurtured to enhance their knowledge and understanding of the key theories that underpin our understanding of the functions of biology, chemistry and physics.
The children progress through their learning at a constructive pace, building on prior learning, with opportunities for those who have a deeper confidence to increase their understanding through exploring each area of the curriculum in depth.
It is our aim that, by the end of Year 6, all children will have a solid understanding of the subjects covered by the science curriculum and, by taking part in purposeful experiments, will have developed their confidence in the scientific process.
Drury, H. (2014), Mastering Mathematics: Teaching to Transform Achievement, p.9. Oxford University Press.
We want to ensure that our children truly understand the fundamentals of science and the reasons behind the scientific process – this includes how to follow the different lines of enquiry effectively.
By developing their understanding of these principles, we are providing our children with the knowledge and skills necessary to explore and test more complex scientific theories at secondary school and beyond.