Our Science Curriculum

At Highfields Primary School, we envisage that our science curriculum will ignite curiosity and foster creativity, enabling children to explore, question, and understand the world around them. We aim to provide rich, hands-on experiences that make learning meaningful and enjoyable, while offering appropriate challenge and enrichment for all learners. Through stimulating lessons and real-life contexts, we aspire to nurture critical thinking and problem-solving skills, ensuring every child develops confidence and a lifelong love of science. We intend to embed digital learning tools throughout our curriculum to enhance investigations, support research, and develop scientific understanding in innovative and engaging ways.  

By the end of Year 6, pupils leave Highfields with a secure understanding of key scientific concepts, the ability to work scientifically through investigation and enquiry, and the curiosity, resilience, and critical thinking skills needed to succeed in secondary science and beyond.

Our intent is rooted in our core values, which shape how children learn and experience Science:   

• Curiosity – Pupils explore the world around them and are encouraged to ask questions and carry out investigations to find out answers to their questions. 

• Creativity – Children are encouraged to think creatively as young scientists using curiosity and imagination alongside skills and knowledge  

• Collaboration - Science lessons naturally lend themselves to teamwork, as pupils learn that scientific knowledge is often built through discussion, cooperation, and shared problem‑solving rather than individual work alone. 

• Challenge – Science naturally challenges children by asking them to explore how and why things happen, rather than simply recall facts. 

• Community – Science promotes shared learning within the school community, encouraging children to respect different viewpoints. It focusses on a scientific awareness of the local community as well as having a responsibility for the wider global community.    

How do we teach science?  

The school uses the Developing Experts scheme of work. From Year 1 to Year 6 the scope of each unit increases, building on what has been taught in previous years. Planning for science is a process in which all teachers ensure that the school gives full coverage of The 2014 National Curriculum programmes of study for Science, and Understanding of the World in the Early Years Foundation Stage. The scheme focusses on the teaching of biology, chemistry and physics alongside teaching the skills needed for working scientifically. Although following a scheme of work, teachers are encouraged to adapt lessons and activities to suit the abilities of all of the children in the class.

Progression of skills and knowledge 

To ensure high standards of teaching and learning in science, we implement a curriculum that is progressive throughout the school. Wherever possible, Science is linked to class topics. At the start of each topic teachers take time to find out what our children already understand and want to find out. We revisit previously taught content to ensure retention and reinforcement of knowledge.   

We include the use of technology, wherever appropriate, to aid teaching and learning. Through teacher modelling and planned questioning, we want our children to wonder about and be amazed and surprised by the world around them as we recognise that our children sometimes lack experiences. Key scientific language is modelled throughout lessons enabling our children to be familiar with and use vocabulary accurately. Teachers are also encouraged to plan in trips and visitors to enhance our children’s learning experience.  

Through the development of our own knowledge organisers and progressions grids, the regular retrieval of prior knowledge is encouraged and both teachers and children can make links between knowledge in other areas in the curriculum.   

How do we make Science real and relevant? 

At Highfields, our focus throughout is on contextualized science, using examples of where the topics and skills being taught can be linked to a wide range of jobs and real-world opportunities, from veterinarians to helicopter engineers, so that children can see future opportunities linked to the lessons they are participating in. Where possible, our teaching is aligned to focus our local geography and cultural capital, with aspects of the work taught being linked to our local community. For example, when discussing plants, looking at the locally famous ancient oak tree and thinking about pollution in the local river system.  

Throughout the units, knowledge, skills and concepts are brought together holistically, underpinned by the development of a strong and evolving subject vocabulary with which to talk about and discuss the science being learned.    

The school has links with the local high school science department and local environmental groups who enhance the opportunities available to the children and allow the children to make connections with their local community and develop a greater awareness of their local surroundings. 

How do we make Science accessible to all pupils? 

At Highfields, we believe that all pupils can and should receive their entitlement to science within a broad and balanced curriculum. Those working towards expectations will work on the same tasks but may need greater support and may not complete all levels of an activity. They may choose to demonstrate their knowledge and understanding orally or visually to avoid limited literacy skills hindering their achievements within the subject.   

Children are supported with school designed knowledge organisers and word banks alongside personalized, where appropriate. Lessons are planned to be as inclusive as possible and modifications to activities are made as needed.  

Science is dynamic, and work should be active and visual, not dependent on reading and writing.   

We seek to open possibilities for all our pupils, inspiring through insights into the wider world, as developing their sense of responsibility to respect and protect their local environment and ecology and to consider the role that they could play in the future with regards to worldwide issues such as climate change. 

How do we integrate technology to enhance teaching and learning? 

Technology is used purposefully within the science curriculum to make learning immersive and meaningful for all pupils. Across the school we use a variety of platforms such as LGfL and BusyThings, which allow children to access high-quality digital resources that deepen their understanding of biology, physics and chemistry. This is particularly useful when teaching more abstract concepts.  

iPad apps allow pupils to label and analyse scientific images and diagrams as well as recording information in a variety of ways. Pupils also use iPads and greenscreen technology to enrich their scientific learning. With apps such as iMovie, they create presentations about their work. The use of technology also allows all children to access the curriculum in a meaningful way. This can be used to support children with personalised planning and can be used to provide opportunities for home learning. 

How do we measure the impact of our Science curriculum? 

Science at our school has a strong impact, with pupils developing secure scientific knowledge, a clear progression of skills, and positive attitudes to enquiry. Effective subject leadership and regular monitoring, including pupil voice, lesson dips and reporting to governors ensure a consistent and ambitious curriculum is well implemented across all year groups. Teachers use formative assessment skilfully to address misconceptions and adapt learning, while summative assessment confirms that most pupils achieve age‑related expectations or higher. Pupils speak confidently about their learning and demonstrate curiosity, resilience, and the ability to work scientifically. High‑quality pupil outcomes and visible evidence of science learning across classrooms and shared spaces reflect a subject that is well embedded and valued throughout the school. Corridor displays and outdoor learning spaces promote the subject alongside assemblies and educational visits.