Science

Overview

We believe that all children should have the opportunity to explore, question, and be curious about the world around them. Science provides a rich and meaningful way for our pupils to engage with their environment in ways that are accessible, enjoyable, and empowering.

Through science, our pupils can:

• Make sense of the world through practical, sensory experiences

• Build curiosity and confidence by exploring cause and effect

• Develop thinking and communication skills through observation and shared discovery

• Foster independence and problem-solving, however small the step

• Experience awe and wonder, supporting their emotional wellbeing and love of learning

Our science curriculum is carefully adapted to meet individual needs and learning styles. Whether it’s through exploring materials, observing natural changes, or engaging in simple investigations, we ensure that every child can access and benefit from the joy and relevance of science in their everyday lives.

Blue Pathway

Science in the Blue Pathway is not taught as a discrete lesson but forms part of ‘My Thinking’.  Blue Pathway science is based on the skills of observation, engagement and enquiry. For some learners this may be achieved by simply encountering sensory activities with scientific themes threaded through them.

Examples include:

Green Pathway

Green Pathway science is linked to the topic for the term. Learning takes place in the context of a familiar and engaging text. Learners work to develop the scientific skills of observation and enquiry. They are encouraged to predict what they think will happen and to record their findings.

Opportunities are provided for pupils to:

• observe different materials and how they can be changed
• observe different forces and how they effect objects
• observe different animals, their habitats and life cycles
• observe plants as they grow
• explore healthy and unhealthy food
• identify different body parts  and to observe and measure bodies changing e.g. height, shoe size, weight
• explore and order the life cycle of animals and humans

Students are asked “what do you think will happen?” and encouraged to make predictions; they are also taught to record results and to use scientific vocabulary where appropriate.

Yellow Pathway

Science in the Yellow Pathway still focuses on the skills of observation, enquiry, prediction and recording but is taught explicitly via a rolling 3 year curriculum in KS3 and KS4. The Yellow Pathway is closely modelled on the national curriculum - we have selected topics that we believe to be the most relevant and important to our learners, in order to instil a love for science, to understand more and to make links to science in their everyday lives. In KS4 we then build on these topics, exploring them in greater depth.

KS3 Yellow Pathway Plan

Impact

Science at Highfield Ely Academy sparks curiosity, builds confidence, and opens doors to greater independence. Through conversations with learners, parents, carers, FE providers, and visitors, we know that science is making a powerful difference in our pupils' lives.

• Many of our learners love talking about science, confidently sharing their ideas and discoveries with peers and adults alike. These conversations build communication skills and a sense of pride.

• Science helps pupils to actively engage with their learning and their environment, encouraging exploration, problem-solving, and resilience.

• As students deepen their scientific understanding, they become better equipped to make sense of the world around them, helping them to access their communities more independently as they grow into adulthood.

• Our learners also develop a strong sense of safety, responsibility, and awareness, laying important foundations for making informed choices and living more independently.

Science is more than a subject – it's a gateway to empowerment, confidence, and lifelong learning for our pupils.