Science

Our vision for science

Science helps children make sense of the natural and physical world. They build scientific knowledge and learn to ask questions, observe, compare, investigate and explain using evidence.

What children learn

Year A (2026–27) is being taught now. Year B (2027–28) follows next year. Years 1–2 use Cornerstones Year 1 projects, Years 3–4 use Year 4 projects and Years 5–6 use Year 6 projects where Cornerstones is used. Individual year group expectations remain important.

Cycle and phase	Autumn	Spring	Summer
Year A · Years 1–2	Everyday Materials; Human Senses	Seasonal Changes	Plant Parts; Animal Parts
Year A · Years 3–4	Animal Nutrition and the Skeletal System	Forces and Magnets	Plant, Nutrition and Reproduction; Light and Shadows
Year A · Years 5–6	Circulatory System	Electrical Circuits and Components	Light Theory; Evolution and Inheritance
Year B · Years 1–2	Human Survival; Habitats	Uses of Materials; Plant Survival	Animal Survival
Year B · Years 3–4	Food and the Digestive System; Sound	States of Matter; Grouping and Classifying	Electrical Circuits and Conductors
Year B · Years 5–6	Forces and Mechanisms; Earth and Space	Human Reproduction and Ageing	Properties and Changes of Materials

Essential Knowledge and progression

In Reception, children notice seasonal change, living things, materials and their surroundings through Understanding the World. Later, topics revisit living things, materials, physical processes and scientific enquiry with greater depth. Knowledge of how to investigate develops alongside knowledge of scientific ideas.

A learning journey: In the Year A Years 1–2 Everyday Materials unit, children name materials, notice properties and compare suitable uses. Older pupils revisit material properties when explaining how substances behave or change. Another sequence runs from KS1 observations of light and seasons to Years 3–4 Light and Shadows, where pupils investigate how shadows form, and Years 5–6 Light Theory, where they explain what light does using a more developed model. Alongside this knowledge, pupils move from observing and describing to choosing what to measure, considering a fair comparison and using evidence to support an explanation.

How we teach it

Children learn scientific vocabulary and concepts through explanation, observation, practical work and discussion. They meet different ways of working scientifically, including comparing, classifying, observing over time and testing where appropriate.

DISCERN in this subject: A lesson on shadows can start by recalling what children know about light. The teacher models the idea that an opaque object blocks light, supports a simple investigation, and invites pupils to compare observations. Questions check misconceptions before pupils draw and explain findings. Later lessons revisit the explanation with different objects or conditions.

How all children take part

Teachers introduce and revisit key vocabulary, model new ideas clearly and adapt resources and support so that every child can participate and show understanding. Children who are ready to go further can explain, compare, apply and question their learning.

How we check learning

Teachers check understanding through questions, discussion, pupil work and practical activity. They revisit essential knowledge, address misconceptions and use what they learn about pupils to plan the next steps.

A child’s observation, diagram or explanation can show the precise scientific idea taught. Staff identify clear evidence of that Essential Knowledge, address a misconception and allow the child to improve an explanation or repeat an investigation where useful. The marking policy expects a developmental response within each topic.

Beyond the classroom

Outdoor observations and familiar materials give children opportunities to notice science around them. Our annual STEAM Day in January gives pupils a chance to connect scientific questions to designing, making, mathematics and technology. Here we work closely with the University of Oxford and Oxford Brookes on research projects. Club choices change through the year; Nature Club was among the summer 2026 activities and we have Bright Sparks who deliver after school club in the spring.