Science

Three and Four-Year-Olds

Communication and Language

• Understand ‘why’ questions, like: “Why do you think the caterpillar got so fat?”

Personal, Social and
Emotional Development

• Make healthy choices about food, drink, activity and toothbrushing.

Understanding the World

• Use all their senses in hands-on exploration of natural materials.

• Explore collections of materials with similar and/or
  different properties.

• Talk about what they see, using a wide vocabulary.

• Begin to make sense of their own life-story and family’s history.

• Explore how things work.

• Plant seeds and care for growing plants.

• Understand the key features of the life cycle of a plant and
  an animal.

• Begin to understand the need to respect and care for the natural environment and all living things.

• Explore and talk about different forces they can feel.

• Talk about the differences between materials
  and changes they notice.

Reception

Communication and Language

• Learn new vocabulary.

• Ask questions to find out more and to check what has been said
  to them.

• Articulate their ideas and thoughts in
  well-formed sentences.

• Describe events in some detail.

• Use talk to help work out problems and organise thinking and activities, and to explain how things work and why they might happen.

• Use new vocabulary in different contexts.

Personal, Social and
Emotional Development

• Know and talk about the different factors that support their overall health and wellbeing:

• regular physical activity

• healthy eating

• toothbrushing

• sensible amounts of ‘screen time’

• having a good sleep routine

• being a safe pedestrian

Understanding the World

• Explore the natural world around them.

• Describe what they see, hear and feel while they are outside.

• Recognise some environments that are different to the one in which they live.

• Understand the effect of changing seasons on the natural world around them.

ELG

Communication and Language

Listening, Attention and Understanding

• Make comments about what they have heard and ask questions to clarify their understanding.

Personal, Social
and Emotional Development

Managing Self

• Manage their own basic hygiene and personal needs, including dressing, going to the toilet and understanding the importance of healthy food choices.

Understanding the World

The Natural World

• 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.

Key Stage 1 National Curriculum Working Scientifically

During years 1 and 2, pupils should be taught to use the following practical scientific methods, processes and skills through the teaching of the programme of study content:

• asking simple questions and recognising that they can be answered in different ways;
• observing closely, using simple equipment;
• performing simple tests;
• identifying and classifying;
• using their observations and ideas to suggest answers to questions;
• gathering and recording data to help in answering questions.

Lower Key Stage 2 National Curriculum Working Scientifically

Upper Key Stage 2 National Curriculum Working Scientifically

During years 3 and 4, pupils should be taught to use the following practical scientific methods, processes and skills through the teaching of the programme of study content:

• asking relevant questions and using different types of scientific enquiries to answer them;
• setting up simple practical enquiries, comparative and fair tests;
• making systematic and careful observations and, where appropriate, taking accurate measurements using standard units, using a range of equipment, including 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, keys, bar charts, and tables;
• reporting on findings from enquiries, including oral and written explanations, displays or presentations of results and conclusions;
• using results to draw simple conclusions, make predictions for new values, suggest improvements and raise further questions;
• identifying differences, similarities or changes related to simple scientific ideas and processes;
• using straightforward scientific evidence to answer questions or to support their findings.

During years 5 and 6, pupils should be taught to use the following practical scientific methods, processes and skills through the teaching of the programme of study content:

• planning different types of scientific enquiries to answer questions, including recognising and controlling variables where necessary;
• taking measurements, using a range of scientific equipment, with increasing accuracy and precision, taking repeat readings when appropriate;
• recording data and results of increasing complexity using scientific diagrams and labels, classification keys, tables, scatter graphs, bar and line graphs;
• using test results to make predictions to set up further comparative and fair tests;
• reporting and presenting findings from enquiries, including conclusions, causal relationships and explanations of and a degree of trust in results, in oral and written forms such as displays and other presentations;
• identifying scientific evidence that has been used to support or refute ideas or arguments.

KS1

LKS2

UKS2

Asking Questions and Carrying Out Fair and Comparative Tests

KS1 Science National Curriculum

Asking simple questions and recognising that they can be answered in different ways.

Performing simple tests. Children can:

1. explore the world around them, leading them to ask some simple scientific questions about how and why

things happen;

2. begin to recognise ways in which they might answer scientific questions;

3. ask people questions and use simple secondary sources to find answers;

4. carry out simple practical tests, using simple equipment;

5. experience different types of scientific enquiries, including practical activities;

6. talk about the aim of scientific tests they are working on.

Lower KS2 Science National Curriculum

Asking relevant questions and using different types of scientific enquiries to answer them.

Setting up simple practical enquiries, comparative and fair tests.

Children can:

1. start to raise their own relevant questions about the world around them in response to a range of

scientific experiences;

2. start to make their own decisions about the most appropriate type of scientific enquiry they might use to answer questions;

3. recognise when a fair test is necessary;

4. help decide how to set up a fair test, making decisions about what observations to make, how long to make them for and the type of simple equipment that might be used;
5. set up and carry out simple comparative and fair tests.

Upper KS2 Science National Curriculum

Planning different types of scientific enquiries to answer questions, including recognising and controlling variables where necessary.

Using test results to make predictions to set up further comparative and fair tests.

Children can:

1. with growing independence, raise their own relevant questions about the world around them in response to a range of scientific experiences;

2. with increasing independence, make their own decisions about the most appropriate type of scientific enquiry they might use to answer questions;

3. explore and talk about their ideas, raising different kinds of scientific questions;

4. ask their own questions about scientific phenomena;

5. select and plan the most appropriate type of scientific enquiry to use to answer scientific questions;

6. make their own decisions about what observations to make, what measurements to use and how long to make them for, and whether to repeat them;

7. plan, set up and carry out comparative and fair tests to answer questions, including recognising and controlling variables where necessary;

8. use their test results to identify when further tests and observations may be needed;

i        use test results to make predictions for further tests.

Observing and Measuring Changes

KS1 Science National Curriculum

Observing closely, using simple equipment.

Children can:

1. observe the natural and humanly constructed world around them;
2. observe changes over time;

3. use simple measurements and equipment;
4. make careful observations, sometimes using equipment to help them observe carefully.

Lower KS2 Science National Curriculum

Making systematic and careful observations and, where appropriate, taking accurate measurements using standard units, using a range of equipment, including thermometers and data loggers.

Children can:

1. make systematic and careful observations;

2. observe changes over time;

3. use a range of equipment, including thermometers and data loggers;

4. ask their own questions about what they observe;
5. where appropriate, take accurate measurements using standard units using a range of equipment.

Upper KS2 Science National Curriculum

Taking measurements, using a range of scientific equipment, with increasing accuracy and precision, taking repeat readings when appropriate.

Children can:

1. choose the most appropriate equipment to
   make measurements and explain how to use
   it accurately;

2. take measurements using a range of scientific equipment with increasing accuracy and precision;

3. make careful and focused observations;

4. know the importance of taking repeat readings and take repeat readings where appropriate.

Identifying, Classifying, Recording and Presenting Data

KS1 Science National Curriculum

Identifying and classifying.

Gathering and recording data to help in answering questions. Children can:

1. use simple features to compare objects, materials and living things;

2. decide how to sort and classify objects into simple groups with some help;

3. record and communicate findings in a range of ways with support;
4. sort, group, gather and record data in a variety of ways to help in answering questions such as in simple sorting diagrams, pictograms, tally charts, block diagrams and simple tables.

Lower KS2 Science National Curriculum

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, keys, bar charts, and tables.

Children can:

1. talk about criteria for grouping, sorting and classifying;

2. group and classify things;

3. collect data from their own observations and measurements;

4. present data in a variety of ways to help in answering questions;

5. use, read and spell scientific vocabulary correctly and with confidence, using their growing word reading and

spelling knowledge;

6. record findings using scientific language, drawings, labelled diagrams, keys, bar charts
   and tables.

Upper KS2 Science National Curriculum

Recording data and results of increasing complexity using scientific diagrams and labels, classification keys, tables, scatter graphs, bar and line graphs.

Children can:

1. independently group, classify and describe living things and materials;

2. use and develop keys and other information records to identify, classify and describe living things and materials;

3. decide how to record data from a choice of familiar approaches;

4. record data and results of increasing complexity using scientific diagrams and labels, classification keys, tables, scatter graphs, bar graphs and line graphs.

Drawing Conclusions, Noticing Patterns and Presenting Findings

KS1 Science National Curriculum

Using their observations and ideas to suggest answers to questions.

Children can:

1. notice links between cause and effect with support;

2. begin to notice patterns and relationships with support;

3. begin to draw simple conclusions;

4. identify and discuss differences between their results;

5. use simple and scientific language;

6. read and spell scientific vocabulary at a level consistent with their increasing word reading and spelling knowledge at key stage 1;
7. talk about their findings to a variety of audiences in a variety of ways.

Lower KS2 Science National Curriculum

Using results to draw simple conclusions, make predictions for new values, suggest improvements and raise further questions.

Reporting on findings from enquiries, including oral and written explanations, displays or presentations of results

and conclusions.

Children can:

1. draw simple conclusions from their results;

2. make predictions;

3. suggest improvements to investigations;

4. raise further questions which could be investigated;

5. first talk about, and then go on to write about, what they have found out;
6. report and present their results and conclusions to others in written and oral forms with increasing confidence.

Upper KS2 Science National Curriculum

Reporting and presenting findings from enquiries, including conclusions, causal relationships and explanations of and a degree of trust in results, in oral and written forms such as displays and other presentations.

Children can:

1. notice patterns;

2. draw conclusions based in their data and observations;

3. use their scientific knowledge and understanding to explain their findings;

4. read, spell and pronounce scientific vocabulary correctly;

5. identify patterns that might be found in the natural environment;

6. look for different causal relationships in their data;

7. discuss the degree of trust they can have in a set of results;

8. independently report and present their conclusions to others in oral and written forms.

Using Scientific Evidence and Secondary Sources of Information

Lower KS2 Science National Curriculum

Identifying differences, similarities or changes related to simple scientific ideas and processes.

Using straightforward scientific evidence to answer questions or to support their findings.

Children can:

1. make links between their own science results and other scientific evidence;

2. use straightforward scientific evidence to answer questions or support their findings;

3. identify similarities, differences, patterns and changes relating to simple scientific ideas and processes;
4. recognise when and how secondary sources might help them to answer questions that cannot be answered through practical investigations.

Upper KS2 Science National Curriculum

Identifying scientific evidence that has been used to support or refute ideas or arguments.

Children can:

1. use primary and secondary sources evidence to justify ideas;

2. identify evidence that refutes or supports their ideas;

3. recognise where secondary sources will be most useful to research ideas and begin to separate opinion from fact;

4. use relevant scientific language and illustrations to discuss, communicate and justify their scientific ideas;

5. talk about how scientific ideas have developed over time.