Science encourages children to explore, question and understand the world around them. Through developing scientific knowledge alongside the skills of scientific enquiry, children build their understanding of biology, chemistry and physics and learn how scientific ideas can be investigated using evidence.

Our science curriculum develops progressively from EYFS through to Year 6. Children encounter a broad range of scientific ideas, revisiting and extending their understanding as they move through the school, while becoming increasingly confident and independent in working scientifically.

Science in EYFS

Scientific learning begins in EYFS through Understanding the World. Children are encouraged to explore, observe, predict, problem solve, make decisions and talk about the world around them.

These early experiences provide foundations for later scientific learning. Children explore the natural world, observe plants and living things, experience seasonal change and investigate materials, light, sound and movement. Opportunities are also provided to develop their awareness of the Earth, Sun, Moon, planets and stars.

Developing Scientific Knowledge

Across the school, children develop knowledge and understanding across the principal areas of science.

Biology

Children's study of living things includes plants, animals including humans, habitats, life cycles, classification, evolution and inheritance.

Learning develops from identifying and observing familiar plants, animals and environments to understanding increasingly complex ideas such as reproduction, adaptation, classification and the human circulatory system.

Chemistry

Children investigate materials and their properties, initially learning to identify and describe everyday materials and consider their suitability for different purposes.

As they progress, they explore solids, liquids and gases, changes of state, the water cycle and the properties of different materials. Later learning includes dissolving and separating mixtures and understanding reversible and irreversible changes. Children also learn about rocks, soils and fossils.

Physics

Children develop their understanding through areas including light, forces and magnets, sound, electricity and the solar system.

Their learning progresses from observing and describing phenomena to explaining them using increasingly sophisticated scientific ideas. This includes understanding forces such as gravity, friction and resistance; how sound is produced through vibrations; constructing and investigating electrical circuits; and understanding the movement of the Earth, Moon and other planets within the solar system.

Working Scientifically

Working scientifically is developed alongside children's scientific knowledge throughout the school.

Children learn through different forms of scientific enquiry, including pattern seeking, observation over time, comparative and fair testing, identifying and classifying, and researching using secondary sources. As they move through the school, they become increasingly independent in deciding how scientific questions can best be investigated.

Children progressively develop their ability to:

• ask and answer scientific questions;
• make predictions;
• make careful and systematic observations;
• select and use equipment and take measurements;
• identify, group and classify;
• plan and carry out practical enquiries;
• record and report their findings;
• draw conclusions; and
• analyse data, evaluate findings and raise further questions.

This progression moves children from using everyday language, simple observations and supported investigations towards selecting appropriate lines of enquiry, controlling variables, taking increasingly accurate measurements and using evidence to justify or challenge scientific ideas.

Using Evidence and Communicating Scientifically

Children are taught to communicate what they discover using increasingly precise scientific language.

As they progress, they learn to record and present information in different ways, including drawings, labelled diagrams, tables, classification keys, charts and graphs. They use observations and results to draw conclusions, make predictions, identify patterns and relationships and consider the strength of the evidence supporting their ideas.

By the end of Key Stage 2, children are expected to consider causal relationships, distinguish fact from opinion, evaluate conclusions and identify evidence that supports or refutes findings.

Scientific Vocabulary

Developing accurate scientific vocabulary is an important part of our curriculum. Children move from language associated with observing, comparing, grouping and simple testing towards increasingly precise terminology associated with enquiry, evidence, variables, accuracy, precision and causal relationships.

Science Curriculum Overview

Our Science Curriculum Overview shows how children's scientific knowledge and enquiry skills develop from EYFS through to Year 6, including progression across biology, chemistry and physics and in working scientifically.

Please view our Science Curriculum Overview below to see the progression of learning across the school.