Science
“Equipped with his five senses, man explores the universe around him and calls the adventure Science.” – Edwin Hubble
“I speak for the trees, for the trees have no tongues” Dr Seuss – The Lorax
| Intent | |||
| At Dorothy Barley Junior Academy we believe that scientific investigation is one of the most powerful ways to learn; developing curiosity and perseverance as well as challenging what we know about the world. We aim to make Science as practical as possible, linking it to real life contexts and giving a meaning to our learning. Science lessons are open ended and practical in nature, allowing children to use a wide range of resources to lead the learning and make their own discoveries. Scientific thinking is not just limited to the classroom; we encourage children to continue their enquiries at home with parents through our termly science projects. |
At Dorothy Barley Junior Academy we believe that scientific investigation is one of the most powerful ways to learn; developing curiosity and perseverance as well as challenging what we know about the world.
The National Curriculum provides a structure and skills progression for the Science curriculum taught and assessed throughout the school. The Reach2 scheme is used to plan and show progression across the school.
We aim to make Science as practical as possible, linking it to real life contexts and giving a meaning to our learning. Science lessons are open ended and practical in nature, allowing children to use a wide range of resources to lead the learning and make their own discoveries.
Scientific thinking is not just limited to the classroom; we encourage children to continue their enquiries at home with parents through our termly science projects.
Dorothy-Barley-Junior-Academy-Science-Principles 2025-2026
Sustainability & Science at DBJA
At DBJA and as part of REAch2 we are committed to revolutionising our approach to sustainability. By empowering our children to become environmental ambassadors, we will ignite their potential to effect positive change. We use our Science and Geography curriculum to ensure that sustainability is a core principle in our school.
Our sustainability objectives are clear:
- Empower all our children with the knowledge to comprehend environmental sustainability and empower them to champion change.
- By 2027, significantly diminish our carbon footprint.
- Implement environmental initiatives that champion, conserve, and enrich local biodiversity.
To achieve these goals, we will:
- Ensure each school devises a sustainability action plan, placing ecological literacy and environmental sustainability at the core of its curriculum.
- Aid all REAch2 schools in attaining nationally recognised Eco-Awards by fostering rich biodiverse environments.
- Engage all our children in community endeavours to foster positive environmental action in their surroundings.
- Diminish our carbon footprint by enhancing infrastructure and embracing environmentally conscious procurement processes.
- Invest in our staff to obtain accreditation in environmental sustainability.
- Embrace various activities that reconnect our children with nature, nurturing their stewardship of the environment.”
At DBJA we are a caring school, we care about our children, our school community and our planet. We encourage a pupil-led approach in order to foster pro-environmental behaviour. Through our curriculum we aim to create a generation of leaders who act responsibly and strive for a future where people and nature thrive together. Through our Learning Values of Respect, Resilience and Kindness we will behave mindfully ensuring that we evaluate our behaviour through the lens of sustainability. We know that climate change is an issue which will impact on this and future generations, and we know that we have a responsibility to take action and create positive change.
The UN’s IPCC (2023) warns about the consequences of inaction in response to human-induced climate change.
The DfE reports children and young people are worried about climate change. Pupil and Staff voice at our school mirrors this showing a desire to do more, know more and live in a more sustainable way.
94% of our children think all schools should be doing things to help the environment and 91% of children want to get involved in projects to support the environment.
100% of our staff think that all schools should be doing things to help the environment and 100% of staff think that all schools should be encouraging and helping children and the wider school community to do things to help the environment.
We have been working with Climate Adapted Pathways in Education and Climate Wise Schools to ensure our approach to sustainability is robust and evidence based. We are a REAch2 Pilot School for Sustainability and our journey has just begun.
Over time our school community will be able to talk articulately about the impact of climate change. We will use a strong evidence base to develop strategies to help us reduce our carbon footprint. We will demonstrate a deep understanding of what we can do to bring change and we will have clear ideas of what we can do to adapt and mitigate. Children will leave our school with the knowledge, based on robust evidence, that they need to make informed decisions about their own actions. They will be confident that we are taking collective action to protect the environment. The school community will demonstrate strong sustainability behaviours.
Overview and Vocabulary
Whole School Science Foundation Overview
Dorothy Barley Junior Academy Awarded Primary Science Quality Mark October 2022!!!
See Press Release