As our children progress through our Key Stage 2 Science topics, they will develop key skills that are directly relevant to Science and will build on skills developed in Key Stage 1. These will be at different levels depending on the child’s age and ability and on the topic being studied.

We believe 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 will be encouraged to recognise the power of rational explanation and develop a sense of excitement and curiosity about natural phenomena. They will be encouraged to understand how science can be used to explain what is occurring, predict how things will behave and analyse causes.

 Aims

We aim to ensure that all pupils:

• develop scientific knowledge and conceptual understanding through the specific disciplines of biology, chemistry and physics;
• develop understanding of the nature, processes and methods of science through different types of scientific enquiries that help them to answer scientific questions about the world around them;
• are equipped with the scientific knowledge required to understand the uses and implications of science, today and for the future;
• build up an extended specialist vocabulary;
• apply their mathematical knowledge to their understanding of science, including collecting, presenting and analysing data;
• use a variety of approaches to answer relevant scientific questions. These types of scientific enquiry should include: observing over time; pattern seeking; identifying, classifying and grouping; comparative and fair testing (controlled investigations); and researching using secondary sources. Pupils should seek answers to questions through collecting, analysing and presenting data.

Key Vocabulary

There will be words and phrases that recur throughout the Science curriculum and it is important that the children know what they mean and how they can be used. These words and phrases include:

data, processes, patterns, relationships, similarities, differences, enquiries, variables, results, conclusions, observations, measurements, equipment, diagram, fair testing, criteria, sorting, classification, predictions, evidence, environments, interactions.

There will also be topic-specific vocabulary that will arise during each block of lessons. These can be found on individual curriculum maps.

Science in Key Stage 2 is organised on a rolling two-year programme, so each topic is visited twice during the four-year Junior period. For further details of each topic see our Curriculum Maps.

Assessment

Each topic is begun with a ‘What I Already Know’ session and ended with a ‘What Have I Remembered’ test aimed at assessing the children’s retained knowledge.