Science
| Intent: The intent of CUSP Science is to build a coherent and cumulative understanding of scientific concepts by ensuring that each new study draws upon prior learning. From the early years in EYFS, where children explore their environment and the natural world, to more abstract content in later years, such as biology, chemistry, and physics, the curriculum connects new ideas with previously acquired knowledge to ease cognitive processing and accelerate learning. The curriculum is structured into three distinct domains—biology, physics, and chemistry—while interdisciplinary concepts, like the particle model, are explicitly taught across these domains. The aim is for our children to grow in scientific expertise, developing a strong mental model of science that helps them make connections between concepts and retain knowledge over time. Scientific vocabulary is introduced sequentially, with both high-frequency, multiple-meaning words (Tier 2) and subject-specific words (Tier 3), ensuring that our children can build their scientific language and understanding. Implementation: CUSP Science is implemented through a structured, sequenced curriculum that is designed to reduce cognitive load and ensure long-term retention of knowledge. The curriculum is divided into meaningful, connected ‘chunks’ of content that are designed to reduce working memory load and support deep, lasting learning. Key to the implementation is the use of research-based practices, such as Bjork’s desirable difficulties, which include retrieval practice, spaced retrieval, and deliberate practice tasks. These strategies are built into each module to ensure that knowledge is retained over time. Misconceptions are actively addressed in every module, with children learning to recognise and correct common scientific misunderstandings through reasoning, examples, and non-examples. The study of historical scientists and their contributions—like Maria Merian’s work in entomology or William Harvey’s discoveries in blood circulation—demonstrates how scientific knowledge evolves and how misconceptions are overcome. These studies also highlight the diverse role models in science, fostering a broader understanding of the field. Impact: The impact of CUSP Science is seen in the deep, long-term understanding our children develop across the three domains of science. The cumulative nature of the curriculum ensures that children are able to connect new content with prior learning, creating a coherent mental model of science. By addressing misconceptions and emphasising the importance of accurate scientific knowledge, our children become confident in reasoning and making informed scientific claims. The explicit teaching of vocabulary, alongside the development of both substantive and disciplinary knowledge, equips our children with the tools they need to engage in scientific inquiry and understand the world around them. Children are empowered to think critically, ask questions, and build upon their knowledge with increasing expertise. The use of historical and contemporary role models in science, alongside the active challenging of misconceptions, helps foster an inquisitive, evidence-based approach to learning. Ultimately, CUSP Science ensures that our children not only retain scientific knowledge but also develop a genuine curiosity about the world and a deeper understanding of the scientific principles that shape it. |