Curriculum Intent

At Bridgelea Primary School, we believe that every child is a scientist. Through our vision of Understanding People, we create opportunities for children to explore, question and make sense of the world around them whilst developing confidence in themselves as learners.

We want every child to experience success in science, regardless of their starting point, and to leave us with a sense of curiosity, achievement and wonder. We believe that science should be exciting, meaningful and memorable, helping children develop a fascination with how things work and why things happen.

Our science curriculum is ambitious, inclusive and carefully designed to meet the needs of all learners. We recognise that many of our children arrive with disrupted educational experiences, gaps in prior knowledge or barriers to learning. Through nurturing relationships, high expectations and personalised support, we ensure that every child can access, enjoy and achieve in science. We believe that every child deserves to experience joy, success, belonging and respect in education, and our science curriculum reflects these values every day.

At Bridgelea, children’s rights and inclusion are inseparable. As a Rights Respecting School, we recognise that every child has the right to access a high-quality education and to have their voice heard. Science provides meaningful opportunities for children to ask questions, share ideas, solve problems and develop their understanding of the world around them. Through enquiry, investigation and collaboration, children learn that their opinions matter and that they can make a positive contribution to their communities and the wider world.

Communication sits at the heart of learning at Bridgelea. We want children to develop the language, vocabulary and confidence needed to explain their ideas, discuss scientific concepts and communicate their findings effectively. Through rich discussion, partner talk and opportunities to reason and reflect, children develop both scientific understanding and the communication skills that will support them throughout their lives.

We also want children to see the possibilities that science offers. Through practical experiences, enrichment opportunities and links to the wider world, including Manchester’s rich history of scientific innovation, we develop children’s scientific capital and aspirations. We want our pupils to understand that science can open doors to many different futures and help them realise there should be no limits to what they can achieve.

Most importantly, we want children to leave Bridgelea with positive memories of science, a curiosity about the world around them and a belief that they can make a difference.

Curriculum Implementation

At Bridgelea, we want our children to know more, remember more and do more. Our approach to science reflects the principles of the Bridgelea Playbook, combining nurturing relationships with evidence-informed practice. We understand that children learn best when they feel safe, valued and connected. Therefore, science is taught within calm, predictable and supportive environments where children feel confident to take risks, share ideas, make mistakes and learn from them.

We recognise that many of our pupils experience difficulties with working memory, attention, concentration and emotional regulation. Learning is therefore understood developmentally and carefully adapted to meet individual needs. Teachers provide the scaffolds, support and opportunities necessary for every child to experience success whilst maintaining high expectations for all learners.

Our science curriculum is delivered through the Plymouth Science Curriculum and has been carefully adapted to meet the needs of Bridgelea pupils. Topics have been thoughtfully sequenced to ensure progression in both scientific knowledge and working scientifically skills. Where appropriate, alternative units have been selected to provide learning experiences that are more meaningful, accessible and engaging for our children. Our Science overview demonstrates how key concepts are carefully mapped across each milepost, building knowledge progressively from transition through to Year 6.

As a school we use Plymouth Science

The science long term plan runs on a 2 year cycle. Every class (and so every child in the school) visits the same science topic areas across the two year cycle. 

Which science topic areas are covered in which cycles?

Cycle A

• Materials
• Seasonal changes
• Animals including humans
• Plants
• Living things
• Rocks and soils
• Light and sound
• Earth and space
• Forces

Cycle B

• Animals including humans
• Materials
• Living things
• Plants
• States of matter
• Electricity
• Forces
• Evolution and inheritance

We understand that many children join Bridgelea having experienced different curricula and varying degrees of disruption to their learning. As a result, securing strong foundations is a key priority. Concepts are revisited regularly through a cyclical curriculum model, allowing children to:

• retain and recall important knowledge;
• deepen their understanding over time;
• make meaningful connections between areas of learning;
• apply their knowledge with increasing confidence;
• develop fluency in scientific thinking and enquiry.

Drawing on cognitive science, teachers use a range of evidence-informed approaches to support learning, including:

• retrieval practice to strengthen memory and knowledge retention;
• explicit teaching and modelling of key concepts;
• carefully sequenced learning broken into manageable steps;
• regular checks for understanding;
• scaffolded support and guided practice;
• opportunities to revisit and apply learning over time.

Language development is central to science teaching at Bridgelea. Scientific vocabulary is explicitly taught and regularly revisited. Staff provide frequent opportunities for discussion, partner talk and collaborative learning to help children organise their thinking, explain their understanding and develop confidence as communicators. We believe that language is fundamental to learning and that children need opportunities to talk, reason and reflect in order to deepen understanding.

Children are encouraged to develop the characteristics of successful scientists by becoming:

• curious and enthusiastic learners;
• confident communicators;
• resilient problem-solvers;
• thoughtful investigators;
• creative thinkers;
• collaborative team members;
• critical thinkers who use evidence to support conclusions.

Children receive a minimum of 1 hour of science teaching each week. Science Week provides additional opportunities for children to engage in memorable investigations and enrichment activities that foster curiosity and excitement about science. Cross-curricular links, outdoor learning, educational visits and practical investigations help children connect their learning to real-life experiences and develop a deeper understanding of the world around them.

Curriculum Impact

The impact of our science curriculum can be seen in children’s growing confidence, curiosity and understanding of the world around them. We want pupils to leave Bridgelea with secure scientific knowledge, positive attitudes towards learning and the confidence to continue their scientific journey beyond primary school.

Assessment is used thoughtfully and purposefully to understand the whole child. Consistent with our wider school approach, assessment is not simply about measuring attainment but about understanding strengths, identifying barriers and responding to children’s individual needs. Teachers use ongoing formative assessment, retrieval activities, classroom discussion, observation and practical application to evaluate understanding and inform future teaching.

Assessment milestones are mapped across each phase to ensure progression in both substantive scientific knowledge and disciplinary knowledge. Through regular opportunities to revisit concepts and apply learning, children develop increasingly secure understanding and are able to make meaningful connections between different areas of science.

Successful outcomes in science at Bridgelea are evident when children:

• enjoy science and participate enthusiastically in lessons;
• feel safe, valued and confident as learners;
• retain and apply important scientific knowledge;
• use scientific vocabulary accurately and confidently;
• ask questions and investigate independently;
• communicate ideas effectively and respectfully;
• work collaboratively with others;
• demonstrate resilience when faced with challenge;
• understand how science impacts their lives and the wider world.

Ultimately, we want every child to leave Bridgelea feeling successful, valued and capable. We want them to see themselves as scientists who are curious, confident and ready for the next stage of their education. Most importantly, we want them to leave with a lifelong curiosity about the world, an understanding of their own potential and the belief that they can make a positive contribution to society.