Our Science Curriculum

Article 29: education should teach children to respect their natural environment. Education must teach children to live responsibly and encourage the child’s respect for the environment.

Essential Characteristic of Scientists. Our goal is for our children to become scientists. Scientists must have:  

• The ability to think independently and raise questions about working scientifically and the knowledge and skills that it brings.  
• Confidence and competence in the full range of practical skills, taking the initiative in, for example, planning and carrying out scientific investigations.  
• Excellent scientific knowledge and understanding which is demonstrated in written and verbal explanations, solving challenging problems and reporting scientific findings.  
• High levels of originality, imagination or innovation in the application of skills.  
• The ability to undertake practical work in a variety of contexts, including fieldwork.  
• A passion for science and its application in past, present and future technologies.   

Fundamental Foundations 

We believe that for children to secure greater depth, it is important that they first have solid fundamental foundations. Fundamental foundations should not be rushed and so the notion of ‘rapid progress’ must be dismissed. Instead the goal of repetition should be seen as both useful and necessary.  This is why you will see us returning regularly to science knowledge and concepts.

Cognitive Domains – Degrees of Understanding  

We refer to three degrees of understanding and thinking - ‘Basic’, ‘Advancing’ and ‘Deep’.  

BASIC – Low level cognitive demand. Involves acquisition of fundamental foundations.  

ADVANCING – Higher level cognitive demands beyond recall. Requires application involving some degree of decision making in how to apply fundamental foundations.  

DEEP – Cognitive demand involves non-standard, non-routine, inter-connected, multi-step thinking in problems with more than one possible solution. Requires reasoning and justification for the inventive application of fundamental foundations.  

Time scales for progression through the cognitive domains -

Milestone 1 – Y1 & Y2 

Milestone 2 – Y3 & Y4 

Milestone 3 – Y5 & Y6  

Each milestone should be seen as containing two phases. In the first phase, pupils should repeat the content a sufficient number of times to secure fundamental foundations; in the second phase, they should apply the foundations in order to reach the ‘expected’ standard. If they reach this before the end of the second phase, they should move on to tasks that will secure greater depth. Thus, progress through the cognitive domains take two years.  

It is expected that by the end of Year 1, pupils should be able to complete the BASIC tasks to secure fundamental foundations and by the end of Year 2, the ADVANCING tasks. It is also reasonable that a number of children may move on to the DEEP activities if they secure an early understanding of advancing.  

Deep Y2 Deep Y2 Advancing Y6 Advancing Y6 

Milestone 1  Y1 & Y2			Milestone 2  Y3 & Y4			Milestone 3  Y5 & Y6
Beginning  Y1	Advancing  Y2	Deep  Y2	Beginning  Y3	Advancing  Y4	Deep  Y4	Beginning  Y5	Advancing  Y6	Deep  Y6

Page 144 of the Primary National Curriculum 2014 states: 

‘While it is important that pupils make progress, it is also vitally important that they develop 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 progress: 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.’ 

We believe that it is therefore extremely important to secure the fundamental foundations before trying to secure greater depth.  

Curriculum Breadth, Depth &  Progression Principles 

We have carefully planned our curriculum to ensure progression as well as breadth and depth.  These are the principles we have adhered to: 

• We revisit the same micro-topics in both years of a milestone so that pupils have a chance to connect topics together (intra-curriculum links) 
• Threshold concepts are returned to regularly within and through all the milestones 
• Planning ensures that we move from basic to advancing, with some children achieving deeper learning over the two years within a milestone 

Curriculum Content  

Across all year groups, pupils will gain the knowledge and skills with each area of science through a predominantly ‘working scientifically’ approach.  

Key Stage 1 – Milestone 1 : These areas of Science are taught in Key Stage 1 in order that there is full coverage of the National Curriculum.  

Biology 	Chemistry 	Physics 
Plants   Identify, classify and describe their basic structure.   Observe and describe growth and conditions for growth.    Habitats   Look at the suitability of environments and at food chains.     Animals and Humans   Identify, classify and observe.   Look at growth, basic needs, exercise, food and hygiene.  	Materials   Identify, name, describe, classify and compare properties and changes.   Look at the practical uses of everyday materials. 	Forces   Describe basic movements     Earth and Space  Observe seasonal change 

Key Stage 2 – Milestones  2 & 3: These areas of Science are taught in Key Stage 2 in order that there is full coverage of the National Curriculum.  

Biology	Chemistry	Physics
Plants   Habitats   Animals and humans   Living things  Evolution and inheritance	Materials   States of matter  Rocks and soils	Forces   Light  Sound  Electricity  Magnets  Earth and space

Building a Science Schema at Globe

Our pupils will form a a science schema* by:

• using concepts as the basis for schema. We call these threshold concepts; these are the big ideas which form the basis for the subject schema. In science the threshold concept is working scientifically. 

• strengthening the schema with knowledge. The knowledge comes from our topics. Within each topic are knowledge categories, the facets of the threshold concept that helps to strengthen the schema. The science  knowledge categories are biology, physics and chemistry.  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.  ‘Working scientifically’ is 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 include: observing over time; pattern seeking; identifying, classifying and grouping; comparative and fair testing (controlled investigations); and researching using secondary sources. Pupils seek answers to questions through collecting, analysing and presenting data. 

• further deepening connections through tasks. This is what is developed though our planning.  

*Schema – A subject schema is a way of organising knowledge in a meaningful way; it is an appreciation of how facts are connected and they ways in which they are connected. A schema is distinct from information, which is just isolated facts that have no organisational basis or links.  

The Science Threshold Concept (Working Scientifically) Broken into Milestones - Progression Through Key Stages

The one threshold concept is Working Scientifically  

 

Working Scientifically Progression through the 3 Milestones 

Working Scientifically	Milestone 1	Milestone 2	Milestone 3
This concept involves:	Asking simple questions.  Observing closely, using simple equipment.  Performing simple tests.  Identifying and classifying.  Using observations and ideas to suggest answers to questions.  Gathering and recording data to help in answering questions.	Asking relevant questions.  Setting up simple, practical enquiries and comparative and fair tests.  Making accurate measurements using standard units, using a range of equipment, e.g. thermometers and data loggers.  Gathering, recording, classifying and presenting data in a variety of ways to help in answering questions.  Recording findings using simple scientific language, drawings, labelled diagrams, bar charts and tables.  Reporting on findings from enquiries, including oral and written explanations, displays or presentations of results and conclusions.  Identifying differences, similarities or changes related to simple, scientific ideas and processes.  Using straightforward, scientific evidence to answer questions or to support their findings.	Planning enquiries, including recognising and controlling variables where necessary.  Using appropriate techniques, apparatus, and materials during fieldwork and laboratory work.  Taking measurements, using a range of scientific equipment, with increasing accuracy and precision.  Recording data and results of increasing complexity using scientific diagrams and labels, classification keys, tables, bar and line graphs, and models.  Reporting findings from enquiries, including oral and written explanations of results, explanations involving causal relationships, and conclusions.  Presenting findings in written form, displays and other presentations.  Using simple models to describe scientific ideas, identifying scientific evidence that has been used to support or refute ideas or arguments.

 

 Curriculum Breadth Maps (topics) - Intent

Click here to see our KS1 & Key Stage 2 Curriculum Progression document which demonstrates how all the areas of Science are regularly revisited.  

Milestone 1 - Year 1 Knowledge Map (our intent)

Milestone 1 - Year 2 Knowledge Map (our intent)

Milestone 2 - Year 3 Knowledge Map (our intent)

Milestone 2 - Year 4 Knowledge Map (our intent)

Milestone  3- Year 5  Knowledge Map (our intent)

Milestone 3 - Year 6 Knowledge Map (our intent) 

How we Implement our Curriculum

Our Science Policy

Science in the Early Years

Example Science lesson - Milestone 1

Example Science lesson - Milestone 2

Example Science lesson - Milestone 3