Science

Purpose of study

A high-quality science education provides the foundations for understanding the world through working scientifically and 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.

Aims

The national curriculum for 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.

 

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 national curriculum programme of study, however it must always be taught through and clearly relate to the teaching of substantive science content in the programme of study.

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

Lower Key Stage 2

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.

Upper Key Stage 2

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.

Please see below our Science progression grids:

Science