Science Curriculum Intent Statement 

At Churchfield Church School, we are scientists. Our intent is to deliver a broad, ambitious, and enquiry-led science curriculum that nurtures curiosity, deepens understanding of the world, and equips children with the skills to think scientifically. We want pupils to develop secure knowledge of scientific concepts, confidence in practical enquiry, and an appreciation of how science impacts everyday life and the wider world. 

Our curriculum is designed to: 

• Align with the National Curriculum by teaching biology, chemistry, and physics through knowledge, skills, and enquiry. 

• Encourage curiosity and questioning, enabling children to explore, investigate, and make sense of the world around them. 

• Build progression of skills from EYFS through KS1 and KS2, ensuring children revisit and deepen prior learning. 

• Develop scientific enquiry skills, including observing, predicting, testing, measuring, and evaluating. 

• Promote resilience and independence, encouraging children to take risks, learn from mistakes, and refine their ideas. 

• Foster respect for the environment and sustainability, helping children understand their role in caring for the planet. 

• Prepare children for the future, equipping them with the foundations for secondary science and beyond. 

Skills by Key Stage 

End of Key Stage 1 (Years 1–2) 

By the end of KS1, children should be able to: 

• Ask simple questions and recognise that they can be answered in different ways. 

• Observe closely, using simple equipment. 

• Perform simple tests. 

• Identify and classify objects, materials, and living things. 

• Use observations and ideas to suggest answers to questions. 

• Gather and record data to help answer questions. 

• Develop basic knowledge of plants, animals, everyday materials, and seasonal changes. 

End of Lower Key Stage 2 (Years 3–4) 

By the end of Lower KS2, children should be able to: 

• Ask relevant questions and use different types of scientific enquiries to answer them. 

• Set up simple practical enquiries, comparative and fair tests. 

• Make systematic observations and take accurate measurements using standard units. 

• Gather, record, classify, and present data in a variety of ways. 

• Use results to draw simple conclusions, make predictions, and suggest improvements. 

• Identify differences, similarities, or changes related to scientific ideas and processes. 

• Use scientific language to explain findings. 

• Develop knowledge of rocks, forces, light, plants, animals (including humans), states of matter, and electricity. 

End of Upper Key Stage 2 (Years 5–6) 

By the end of Upper KS2, children should be able to: 

• Plan different types of scientific enquiries to answer questions, including recognising and controlling variables. 

• Take measurements using a range of scientific equipment with increasing accuracy and precision. 

• Record data and results using tables, graphs, and scientific diagrams. 

• Use test results to make predictions and set up further comparative and fair tests. 

• Report and present findings from enquiries, including conclusions and causal relationships. 

• Use evidence to support or refute ideas and arguments. 

• Apply scientific knowledge to explain phenomena and make links across topics. 

• Develop knowledge of Earth and space, forces, properties and changes of materials, living things and their habitats, evolution and inheritance, and more complex aspects of electricity and light.