Science | Lancaster Lane Primary and Pre-School

Curriculum Statement for Science

At Lancaster Lane Primary and Pre-school, science is taught through fun, engaging, high-quality lessons, that provide children with the foundations for understanding the world. We encourage children to be curious about the world around them and inspire a sense of wonder about natural phenomena. We feel it is so important to foster a love and curiosity of science as our children will be the scientists of the future. We aim to help our children understand the uses and implications of science, today and for the future.

At Lancaster Lane, we ensure high standards of teaching and learning in science. Our personalised curriculum not only shows a progression of skills, but builds upon previous knowledge learning through effective teaching and learning strategies. The Early Years Foundation Stage programme of study for Understanding the World informs the EYFS curriculum, ensuring that our youngest learners in school have firm foundations in which to build their scientific knowledge on as they move into key stage one. From Year 1 upwards, there is full coverage of the National Curriculum throughout school, ensuring all children receive a high-quality science education, with an emphasis on knowledge retention. Lessons within science units are planned for in a sequence, ensuring that scientific enquiry skills are developed and technical vocabulary is shared. Units begin and end with varied pre and post unit assessments, to measure progress from starting points and allow for children to show what they know from the unit. Lessons usually follow a familiar ‘I do, we do, you do’ structure, followed by hinge point questions to check for understanding and an activity to follow. Each learning sequence is carefully planned to include all of the relevant key features of scientific enquiry: observing over time, pattern seeking, identifying, classifying and grouping, comparative and fair testing, and researching using secondary sources. Science lessons are taught weekly to ensure that skills and knowledge are acquired and can be developed and revisited throughout the year.

EYFS

In Pre-School and Reception, children’s scientific knowledge is developed through adult-led sessions, specific enhancements to direct learning and through child-initiated experiences. Within the EYFS, there is a significant emphasis on learning about the natural world and our large, outdoor area provides opportunities for children to interact and learn with the natural world, throughout all seasons and in all weathers. This gives children firm foundations, as they work towards the early learning goals for ‘The Natural World’ at the end of Reception:

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 One

Programme of Study

Across Year 1 and Year 2, children are taught a range of science units, such as plants, animals (inc humans), everyday materials, seasonal changes and living things and their habitats. Within these units, they are taught to:

identify and name a variety of common wild and garden plants, including deciduous and evergreen trees
identify and describe the basic structure of a variety of common flowering plants, including trees.
observe and describe how seeds and bulbs grow into mature plants
find out and describe how plants need water, light and a suitable temperature to grow and stay healthy.
identify and name a variety of common animals including fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals
identify and name a variety of common animals that are carnivores, herbivores and omnivores
describe and compare the structure of a variety of common animals (fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals, including pets)
identify, name, draw and label the basic parts of the human body and say which part of the body is associated with each sense.
notice that animals, including humans, have offspring which grow into adults
find out about and describe the basic needs of animals, including humans, for survival (water, food and air)
describe the importance for humans of exercise, eating the right amounts of different types of food, and hygiene.
distinguish between an object and the material from which it is made
identify and name a variety of everyday materials, including wood, plastic, glass, metal, water, and rock
describe the simple physical properties of a variety of everyday materials
compare and group together a variety of everyday materials on the basis of their simple physical properties.
identify and compare the suitability of a variety of everyday materials, including wood, metal, plastic, glass, brick, rock, paper and cardboard for particular uses
find out how the shapes of solid objects made from some materials can be changed by squashing, bending, twisting and stretching.
observe changes across the four seasons
observe and describe weather associated with the seasons and how day length varies.
explore and compare the differences between things that are living, dead, and things that have never been alive
identify that most living things live in habitats to which they are suited and describe how different habitats provide for the basic needs of different kinds of animals and plants, and how they depend on each other
identify and name a variety of plants and animals in their habitats, including microhabitats
describe how animals obtain their food from plants and other animals, using the idea of a simple food chain, and identify and name different sources of food.

Working Scentifically

In key stage one, children are encouraged to work scientifically, developing the following skills:

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.

Key Stage Two

Lower Key Stage Two - Programme of Study

Across Year 3 and Year 4, children are taught a range of science units, such as plants, animals (inc humans), rocks, light, forces and magnets, living things and their habitats, states of matter, sounds and electricity. Within these units, they are taught to:

identify and describe the functions of different parts of flowering plants: roots, stem/trunk, leaves and flowers
explore the requirements of plants for life and growth (air, light, water, nutrients from soil, and room to grow) and how they vary from plant to plant
investigate the way in which water is transported within plants
explore the part that flowers play in the life cycle of flowering plants, including pollination, seed formation and seed dispersal.
identify that animals, including humans, need the right types and amount of nutrition, and that they cannot make their own food; they get nutrition from what they eat
identify that humans and some other animals have skeletons and muscles for support, protection and movement.
describe the simple functions of the basic parts of the digestive system in humans
identify the different types of teeth in humans and their simple functions
construct and interpret a variety of food chains, identifying producers, predators and prey.
compare and group together different kinds of rocks on the basis of their appearance and simple physical properties
describe in simple terms how fossils are formed when things that have lived are trapped within rock
recognise that soils are made from rocks and organic matter.
recognise that they need light in order to see things and that dark is the absence of light
notice that light is reflected from surfaces
recognise that light from the sun can be dangerous and that there are ways to protect their eyes
recognise that shadows are formed when the light from a light source is blocked by an opaque object
find patterns in the way that the size of shadows change.
compare how things move on different surfaces
notice that some forces need contact between two objects, but magnetic forces can act at a distance
observe how magnets attract or repel each other and attract some materials and not others
compare and group together a variety of everyday materials on the basis of whether they are attracted to a magnet, and identify some magnetic materials
describe magnets as having two poles
predict whether two magnets will attract or repel each other, depending on which poles are facing.
recognise that living things can be grouped in a variety of ways
explore and use classification keys to help group, identify and name a variety of living things in their local and wider environment
recognise that environments can change and that this can sometimes pose dangers to living things.
compare and group materials together, according to whether they are solids, liquids or gases
observe that some materials change state when they are heated or cooled, and measure or research the temperature at which this happens in degrees Celsius (°C)
identify the part played by evaporation and condensation in the water cycle and associate the rate of evaporation with temperature.
identify how sounds are made, associating some of them with something vibrating
recognise that vibrations from sounds travel through a medium to the ear
find patterns between the pitch of a sound and features of the object that produced it
find patterns between the volume of a sound and the strength of the vibrations that produced it
recognise that sounds get fainter as the distance from the sound source increases.
identify common appliances that run on electricity
construct a simple series electrical circuit, identifying and naming its basic parts, including cells, wires, bulbs, switches and buzzers
identify whether or not a lamp will light in a simple series circuit, based on whether or not the lamp is part of a complete loop with a battery
recognise that a switch opens and closes a circuit and associate this with whether or not a lamp lights in a simple series circuit
recognise some common conductors and insulators, and associate metals with being good conductors.

Lower Key Stage Two - Working Scientifically

In lower key stage two, children are encouraged to work scientifically, developing the following skills:

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.

Upper Key Stage Two - Programmes of Study

Across Year 5 and Year 6, children are taught a range of science units, such as living things and their habitats, animals (inc humans), properties and changes of materials, earth and space, forces, evolution and inheritance, light and electricity. Within these units, they are taught to:

describe the differences in the life cycles of a mammal, an amphibian, an insect and a bird
describe the life process of reproduction in some plants and animals.
describe how living things are classified into broad groups according to common observable characteristics and based on similarities and differences, including micro organisms, plants and animals
give reasons for classifying plants and animals based on specific characteristics.
describe the changes as humans develop to old age.
identify and name the main parts of the human circulatory system, and describe the functions of the heart, blood vessels and blood
recognise the impact of diet, exercise, drugs and lifestyle on the way their bodies function
describe the ways in which nutrients and water are transported within animals, including humans.
compare and group together everyday materials on the basis of their properties, including their hardness, solubility, transparency, conductivity (electrical and thermal), and response to magnets
know that some materials will dissolve in liquid to form a solution, and describe how to recover a substance from a solution
use knowledge of solids, liquids and gases to decide how mixtures might be separated, including through filtering, sieving and evaporating
give reasons, based on evidence from comparative and fair tests, for the particular uses of everyday materials, including metals, wood and plastic
demonstrate that dissolving, mixing and changes of state are reversible changes
explain that some changes result in the formation of new materials, and that this kind of change is not usually reversible, including changes associated with burning and the action of acid on bicarbonate of soda.
describe the movement of the Earth, and other planets, relative to the Sun in the solar system
describe the movement of the Moon relative to the Earth
describe the Sun, Earth and Moon as approximately spherical bodies
use the idea of the Earth’s rotation to explain day and night and the apparent movement of the sun across the sky.
explain that unsupported objects fall towards the Earth because of the force of gravity acting between the Earth and the falling object
identify the effects of air resistance, water resistance and friction, that act between moving surfaces
recognise that some mechanisms, including levers, pulleys and gears, allow a smaller force to have a greater effect.
recognise that living things have changed over time and that fossils provide information about living things that inhabited the Earth millions of years ago
recognise that living things produce offspring of the same kind, but normally offspring vary and are not identical to their parents
identify how animals and plants are adapted to suit their environment in different ways and that adaptation may lead to evolution.
recognise that light appears to travel in straight lines
use the idea that light travels in straight lines to explain that objects are seen because they give out or reflect light into the eye
explain that we see things because light travels from light sources to our eyes or from light sources to objects and then to our eyes
use the idea that light travels in straight lines to explain why shadows have the same shape as the objects that cast them.
associate the brightness of a lamp or the volume of a buzzer with the number and voltage of cells used in the circuit
compare and give reasons for variations in how components function, including the brightness of bulbs, the loudness of buzzers and the on/off position of switches
use recognised symbols when representing a simple circuit in a diagram.

Upper Key Stage Two - Working Scientifically

In upper key stage two, children are encouraged to work scientifically, developing the following skills:

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.

Inclusion within Science

At Lancaster Lane Primary and Pre-School, inclusion is a key part of our teaching and learning approach across all subjects. Adaptive teaching strategies are used within science lessons, to ensure children are supported and challenged in a way that makes learning accessible and easily retained. In accordance with NASEN guidance, inclusive practice in science can include using a stimulus to create interest, carefully planned questioning, oracy-led activities and visual prompts/supports, which are particularly effective for SEND learners. Pre-teaching vocabulary and previously learnt knowledge can be effective in supporting learners needs and ensuring that they can access lessons, as well as identification of possible misconceptions, which can be addressed when checking for understanding and supported with scaffolds throughout the lesson. Any lessons that includes experiments or work with equipment should be planned carefully and the needs of any children with disabilities or sensory needs should be considered, before adaptations are made in order for them to still access the learning. Reasonable adjustments are made as standard practice across classrooms, to support children and allow all children to access learning successfully. Creating a fully-inclusive learning environment promotes engagement and creates opportunities for all learners to achieve and achieve their full potential, with all their needs met.

Assessment

All science units begin with a pre-unit assessment to establish pupils' prior knowledge and identify their starting points. At the end of each unit, pupils complete a post-unit assessment which enables them to demonstrate the knowledge and understanding they have acquired.

Ongoing formative assessment is an integral part of science teaching and learning. Teachers regularly assess pupils' understanding throughout lessons through questioning and discussion, as well as hinge point questions within the lesson. This allows for misconceptions to be identified and addressed promptly.

At the end of each science unit, teachers make a judgement against the knowledge curriculum statements taught and the expectation that children will be able to understand and retain the knowledge, following the teaching sequence, with considerations being given based on pre and post unit assessments and checking for understanding throughout lessons. Children are assessed as:

Working Towards Age-Related Expectations (WT)

Working At Age-Related Expectations (ARE)

Working Above Age-Related Expectations (MA)

An overall summative judgement for science is informed by assessment outcomes across all units taught during the academic year and recorded on our online assessment system, Sonar, at the end of each academic year. Assessment information is analysed by teachers, school leaders and the subject leader to monitor attainment and progress, identify strengths and areas for development, and inform future curriculum planning and improvement.

Enrichment Opportunities within School

We are lucky to have such a vast outdoor space at Lancaster Lane and this contributes to our science curriculum, particularly when focusing on science units specific to the natural world, plants and seasonal changes. Our EYFS classes have continual access to a large outdoor area, brimming with trees, plants and wildlife. This area can also be used by the rest of the school, as well as the wider school grounds and gardening areas. We also utilise the local and regional area for trips, to places such as Cuerden Valley and Martin Mere Wetland Centre, to enrich science learning and provide first-hand, memorable experiences. Extra-curricular clubs such as gardening club, provides opportunities for children to learn about how plants and vegetables grow and change, as well as developing a love of the natural world and how to care for it.

We also celebrate British Science Week each year and dedicate a themed day to exploring a scientific concept, pioneer or skill. This has also been extended to science opportunities at home, with competitions such as ‘science selfies’ proving popular, as families explore and photograph how science contributes to everyday life.

Last reviewed: June 2026

Subject leader: Carla Govier

The subject leader can be contacted via the school office. Tel: 01772 433641