Science KS2

Year 3 and 4

The principal focus of science teaching in lower key stage 2, Year 3 and 4 is to enable pupils to broaden their scientific view of the world around them. They do this through exploring, talking about, testing and developing ideas about everyday phenomena and the relationships between living things and familiar environments, and by beginning to develop their ideas about functions, relationships and interactions. They are encouraged to ask their own questions about what they observe and make some decisions about which types of scientific enquiry are likely to be the best ways of answering them, including observing changes over time, noticing patterns, grouping and classifying things, carrying out simple comparative and fair tests and finding things out using secondary sources of information. Pupils will also draw simple conclusions and use some scientific language, first, to talk about and, later, to write about what they have found out.

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.

Year 5 and 6

The principal focus of science teaching in upper key stage 2, Years 5 and 6 is to enable pupils to develop a deeper understanding of a wide range of scientific ideas. They do this through exploring and talking about their ideas; asking their own questions about scientific phenomena; and analysing functions, relationships and interactions more systematically. Pupils will encounter more abstract ideas and begin to recognise how these ideas help them to understand and predict how the world operates. They also begin to recognise that scientific ideas change and develop over time. Pupils demonstrate that they are working scientifically by selecting the most appropriate ways to answer science questions using different types of scientific enquiry, including observing changes over different periods of time, noticing patterns, grouping and classifying things, carrying out comparative and fair tests and finding things out using a wide range of secondary sources of information. Pupils will also s draw conclusions based on their data and observations, use evidence to justify their ideas, and use their scientific knowledge and understanding to explain their findings.

Working Scientifically:

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 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.