Science

We recognise that the Science curriculum begins in our Nursery.  Children have a range of opportunities to explore the world around them and to begin to engage with scientific concepts including materials, plants and animals, the human body, forces and the environment. 

National Curriculum Purpose of study

A high-quality science education provides the foundations for understanding the world through the specific disciplines of biology, chemistry and physics. Science has changed our lives and is vital to the world’s future prosperity, and all pupils should be taught essential aspects of the knowledge, methods, processes and uses of science. Through building up a body of key foundational knowledge and concepts, pupils should be encouraged to recognise the power of rational explanation and develop a sense of excitement and curiosity about natural phenomena. They should be encouraged to understand how science can be used to explain what is occurring, predict how things will behave, and analyse causes.

Science aims to ensure that all pupils:

• develop scientific knowledge and conceptual understanding through the specific disciplines of biology, chemistry and physics

• develop understanding of the nature, processes and methods of science through different types of science enquiries that help them to answer scientific questions about the world around them

• are equipped with the scientific knowledge required to understand the uses and implications of science, today and for the future.

Scientific knowledge and conceptual understanding

The programmes of study describe a sequence of knowledge and concepts. While it is important that pupils make progress, it is also vitally important that they develop a secure understanding of each key block of knowledge and concepts in order to progress to the next stage. Insecure, superficial understanding will not allow genuine progression: pupils may struggle at key points of transition (such as between primary and secondary school), build up serious misconceptions, and/or have significant difficulties in understanding higher-order content.

Pupils should be able to describe associated processes and key characteristics in common language, but they should also be familiar with, and use, technical terminology accurately and precisely. They should build up an extended specialist vocabulary. They should also apply their mathematical knowledge to their understanding of science, including collecting, presenting and analysing data. The social and economic implications of science are important but, generally, they are taught most appropriately within the wider school curriculum: teachers will wish to use different contexts to maximise their pupils’ engagement with and motivation to study science.

The nature, processes and methods of science

‘Working scientifically’ specifies the understanding of the nature, processes and methods of science for each year group. It should not be taught as a separate strand. The notes and guidance give examples of how ‘working scientifically’ might be embedded within the content of biology, chemistry and physics, focusing on the key features of scientific enquiry, so that pupils learn to use a variety of approaches to answer relevant scientific questions. These types of scientific enquiry should include: observing over time; pattern seeking; identifying, classifying and grouping; comparative and fair testing (controlled investigations); and researching using secondary sources. Pupils should seek answers to questions through collecting, analysing and presenting data

Enquiry process

• Ask scientific questions

• Planning an enquiry

• Observing closely

• Taking measurements

• Gathering and recording results

• Presenting results

• Interpreting results

• Drawing conclusions (KS2)

• Making predictions (KS2)

• Evaluating an enquiry (KS2)

Types of enquiry

• Comparative & fair testing

• Observing over time

• Pattern seeking

• Identify, classify and group

• Research using secondary sources

From Nursery, pupils will have the opportunity to:

• Use all their senses in hands-on exploration of natural materials.

• Explore collections of materials with similar and/or different properties.

• Talk about what they see, using a wide vocabulary.

• Plant seeds and care for growing plants.

• Understand the key features of the life cycle of a plant and an animal.

• Begin to understand the need to respect and care for the natural environment and all living things.

• Explore and talk about different forces they can feel.

• Talk about the differences between materials and changes they notice.

In Reception, they will additional have the opportunity to: 

• Continue developing positive attitudes about the differences between people.

• Explore the natural world around them.

• Describe what they see, hear and feel whilst outside.

• Recognise some environments that are different from the one in which they live.

• Understand the effect of changing seasons on the natural world around them.

National Curriculum Expectations for Key Stage 1

The principal focus of science teaching in key stage 1 is to enable pupils to experience and observe phenomena, looking more closely at the natural and humanly-constructed world around them. They should be encouraged to be curious and ask questions about what they notice. They should be helped to develop their understanding of scientific ideas by using different types of scientific enquiry to answer their own questions, including observing changes over a period of time, noticing patterns, grouping and classifying things, carrying out simple comparative tests, and finding things out using secondary sources of information. They should begin to use simple scientific language to talk about what they have found out and communicate their ideas to a range of audiences in a variety of ways. Most of the learning about science should be done through the use of first-hand practical experiences, but there should also be some use of appropriate secondary sources, such as books, photographs and videos.

‘Working scientifically’ is described separately in the programme of study, but must always be taught through and clearly related to the teaching of substantive science content in the programme of study. Throughout the notes and guidance, examples show how scientific methods and skills might be linked to specific elements of the content.

Pupils should read and spell scientific vocabulary at a level consistent with their increasing word reading and spelling knowledge at key stage 1.

How is science taught in KS1?  

Teachers should endeavour to teach as much of the science knowledge through investigative approaches. This means that the working scientific skills appropriate to KS1 should underpin every science lesson and that investigations should be used as an engaging platform through which children develop core knowledge and understanding.

Science topics should be covered in the terms stated in the curriculum overview below, however flexibility is given to year groups to determine how best to timetable these. This may be a lesson once per week for a duration of 6 weeks or 6 consecutive lessons in a block. A recommendation would be that teaching each topic in a ‘block’ lends itself to science, both in a practical sense (sharing resources/equipment/preparation for investigations) and as an effective way of children building on and applying knowledge from the previous lesson. 

Within each topic, at least 4 lessons should be based around an experiment or investigation question. Children are not expected to record every part of the experiment in their books. In fact, teachers may want to focus on a particular skill within the lesson such as predicting, planning a method, recording accurate results or concluding. 

In KS1, recording in books may include, but is not limited to:

• Written sentences

• Labelled diagrams

• Cloze exercises

• Cutting/sticking/matching/sorting activities

• Annotated concept cartoons

• Captions

• Photos

• Lists

• Tables

• Observations written in speech bubbles

National Curriculum Expectations for KS2 (lower)

The principal focus of science teaching in lower key stage 2 is to enable pupils to broaden their scientific view of the world around them. They should do this through exploring, talking about, testing and developing ideas about everyday phenomena and the relationships between living things and familiar environments, and by beginning to develop their ideas about functions, relationships and interactions. They should ask their own questions about what they observe and make some decisions about which types of scientific enquiry are likely to be the best ways of answering them, including observing changes over time, noticing patterns, grouping and classifying things, carrying out simple comparative and fair tests and finding things out using secondary sources of information. They should draw simple conclusions and use some scientific language, first, to talk about and, later, to write about what they have found out.

‘Working scientifically’ is described separately at the beginning of the programme of study, but must always be taught through and clearly related to substantive science content in the programme of study. Throughout the notes and guidance, examples show how scientific methods and skills might be linked to specific elements of the content.

Pupils should read and spell scientific vocabulary correctly and with confidence, using their growing word reading and spelling knowledge.

National Curriculum Expectations for KS2 (upper)

The principal focus of science teaching in upper key stage 2 is to enable pupils to develop a deeper understanding of a wide range of scientific ideas. They should do this through exploring and talking about their ideas; asking their own questions about scientific phenomena; and analysing functions, relationships and interactions more systematically. At upper key stage 2, they should encounter more abstract ideas and begin to recognise how these ideas help them to understand and predict how the world operates. They should also begin to recognise that scientific ideas change and develop over time. They should select the most appropriate ways to answer science questions using different types of scientific enquiry, including observing changes over different periods of time, noticing patterns, grouping and classifying things, carrying out comparative and fair tests and finding things out using a wide range of secondary sources of information. Pupils should draw conclusions based on their data and observations, use evidence to justify their ideas, and use their scientific knowledge and understanding to explain their findings.

‘Working and thinking scientifically’ is described separately at the beginning of the programme of study, but must always be taught through and clearly related to substantive science content in the programme of study. Throughout the notes and guidance, examples show how scientific methods and skills might be linked to specific elements of the content.

Pupils should read, spell and pronounce scientific vocabulary correctly.

How is science taught in KS2?

Teachers should endeavour to teach as much of the science knowledge through investigative approaches. This means that the working scientific skills appropriate to KS2 should underpin every science lesson and that investigations should be used as an engaging platform through which children develop core knowledge and understanding.

Science topics should be covered in the terms stated in the curriculum overview below, however flexibility is given to year groups to determine how best to timetable these. This may be a lesson once per week for a duration of 6 weeks or 6 consecutive lessons in a block. A recommendation would be that teaching each topic in a ‘block’ lends itself to science, both in a practical sense (sharing resources/equipment/preparation for investigations) and as an effective way of children building on and applying knowledge from the previous lesson. 

Within each topic, at least 4 lessons should be based around an experiment or investigation question. Children are not expected to record every part of the experiment in their books. In fact, teachers may want to focus on a particular skill within the lesson such as predicting, planning a method, recording accurate results or concluding. 

In KS2, recording in books may include, but is not limited to:

• Written paragraphs

• Annotated concept cartoons

• Responding to deliberate mistakes

• Flowcharts

• Essays

• Instructions

• Diagrams

• Photos

• Tables (Drawn, where possible, by the children)

• Cloze exercises

• Charts & graphs

• Reports

As in all areas of the curriculum, teachers should deliver ‘quality-first’ teaching and differentiate to support children with barriers to learning. On an individual basis, teachers should consider any limitations that a child has in accessing the planned lesson and provide resources, scaffolds, adapted tasks, adult support and differentiated questioning where appropriate. As science demands a high-level of vocabulary understanding, it may be beneficial to ‘pre-teach’ vocabulary to specific children.

Science lessons should provide challenge for those children demonstrating a secure understanding. Teachers should use open ended questions and scenarios to promote deep thinking and encourage the children’s application of prior knowledge. This could be done verbally or through ‘challenge strips’ where children provide a written response in their books.

Teachers should use formative assessment strategies to gather information about the children’s level of understanding at the beginning, during and at the end of a topic. It is expected that at the start of each new science topic, children complete a mind map in blue pen demonstrating any knowledge they have prior to the topic starting. At the end of a topic, children add to the mind map in green pen as a way of evidencing their improved knowledge and understanding. In addition to the mind map, teachers should consider other ways in which they can assess children’s understanding of a topic of work. These should be year group appropriate and reflected in the books either through photos, a blurb or extended writing. These assessment opportunities could be, but are not limited to, any of the below:

• A google quiz

• A presentation (poster, display board, PowerPoint)

• Peer teaching

• Narrative/drama

• A structured debate

• An information leaflet

• An essay

In addition to the end of topic assessment, it is expected that teachers use formative strategies within their lessons (such as questioning or retrieval exercises) to continually assess and gain insight into the children’s level of understanding, therefore influencing next steps.

As in the feedback policy, the sole focus of feedback and marking should be to further children’s learning. Although teachers may want to ‘acknowledge mark’ books as an indication that they have reviewed the learning, what will be most effective is when feedback is delivered closest to the point of action. Feedback in class may include targeting individuals or small groups, verbal comments, TA supported groups, redirecting the focus of the teaching, summarising and evaluating, self/peer assessment or providing further challenge. 

Curriculum guidance and supporting resources are accessible both within this document and on the google drive within the science folder. There are lots of investigation and experiment ideas, linked to all aspects of working scientifically within each year group.

Teachers are encouraged to develop their subject knowledge through reachoutcpd.com. This website is free to sign up to and has 15-minute subject specific tutorials focused on all areas of science. Before teaching a topic, teachers are encouraged to clarify their subject knowledge using this CPD.