Science

We are scientists!

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. 

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. 

Science teaching in Lower Key Stage 2 enables pupils to broaden their scientific view of the world around them. They do this by exploring, talking about, testing and developing ideas about everyday phenomena and the relationships between living things and familiar environments. Pupils 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. Pupils are encouraged to draw simple conclusions and use scientific language to talk and write about their findings.

In Upper Key Stage 2 the principle focus is now on enabling pupils to develop a deeper understanding of a wide range of scientific ideas. Pupils encounter more abstract concepts and begin to recognise how these help to understand and predict how the world around them works. 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.