Science Curriculum Intent

At Radcliffe on Trent Junior School, we believe that science helps children to make sense of the world around them through curiosity, investigation and discovery. Our science curriculum is ambitious, inclusive and practical, enabling every child to develop secure scientific knowledge alongside the confidence and skills to question, investigate and think scientifically.

Through our commitment to Making Learning Memorable, pupils build their knowledge of biology, chemistry and physics while learning to work scientifically. They ask questions, make predictions, plan and carry out enquiries, observe and measure, record and interpret data, identify patterns and use evidence to draw conclusions. As pupils move through the school, they revisit and connect important scientific ideas, applying their growing knowledge and vocabulary with increasing accuracy, independence and confidence.

Our school values are woven naturally through science. Pupils Be Curious as they ask questions, explore phenomena and seek explanations; Be Brave as they make predictions, test ideas and reconsider their thinking when evidence challenges what they expected; and Be Kind as they collaborate during investigations, listen to different viewpoints and develop respect for living things and the environment.

Science at ROTJS connects learning with children's experiences of the world around them. Our school grounds and local environment provide opportunities for observation and investigation, while encounters with scientists, scientific careers and significant discoveries help pupils understand how science is used beyond the classroom. Pupils learn about scientists from diverse backgrounds, challenging stereotypes and developing an understanding that science is shaped by people with different experiences, ideas and perspectives.

By the time pupils leave ROTJS, we want them to have the knowledge, curiosity and confidence to think and work as scientists. They will be able to ask increasingly purposeful questions, plan and carry out enquiries, analyse evidence, draw and communicate conclusions and use their scientific knowledge to explain the world around them. Above all, we want pupils to leave believing that science is something they can understand, participate in and continue to explore.