Intent

All planning should be driven by the aims: 

• To provide the foundations to understand, question and explain the world around them. 

• To provide children with memorable experiences that enrich their lives, generating a sense of excitement and curiosity about natural phenomena. 

• To have the understanding of different scientific enquiries to enable them to answer specific scientific questions as well as their own. 

 

In order to achieve this, we will: 

•  Promote learning through awe and wonder so they question the world around them.  Because our children learn best when inspired and when they can see a ‘real purpose’ to what they are learning. This will encourage thinking and enable them to raise their own questions.  

 

• Provide opportunities for practical enquiries, where children can apply their new scientific knowledge to real-life examples. Because we want to encourage independent learners who have the skills to be able to ask their own questions. 

 

• We develop children’s explicit scientific knowledge and conceptual understanding.  Because this will ensure children have a rich foundation of science allowing them to discuss and deepen their understanding further whilst making links to their prior learning. 

 

By the end of EYFS, children will: 

• Explore the natural world around them, making observations and drawing pictures of animals and plants.  

• Know some similarities and differences between the natural world around them and contrasting environments, drawing on their experiences and what has been read in class.  

• Understand some important processes and changes in the natural world around them, including the seasons and changing states of matter. 

• Safely use and explore a variety of materials, tools and techniques, (experimenting with colour, design, texture, form and function.) 

 

By the end of KS1, children will learn the skills of science through: 

• Biology:  

• Name and classify animals, including humans 

• Observe seasonal changes, develop understanding of what plants need to germinate, grow and survive 

• Simple reproduction of animals, moving on to their basic needs and importance of a healthy exercise and hygiene. 

• Find out about living things and their habitats 

 

• Chemistry: 

• Sort and classify the properties of materials 

• Develop their knowledge of materials – what are particular materials suitable for and what properties do different materials have? 

 

By the end of KS2, children will: 

• Know how to raise questions about working scientifically and take the initiative in planning and carrying out scientific investigations in a variety of contexts. 

• Understand how to report scientific findings with both verbal and written explanations 

• Gain an understanding of substantive knowledge in the following parts of science: 

• Biology:  
• Living things and their habitats 
• Human and plant anatomy and physiology. Children will use this knowledge to help them deepen their understanding of Biology through our ‘Evolution’ unit in Year 6 

 

• Chemistry:  

• Rocks and soils,  

• Properties and changing materials, including states of matter. 

 

• Physics:  

• Types of everyday materials,  

• Forces, including magnetic,  

• Light  

• Sound 

• Electricity  

• Outer-space