Intent

 At Carlton Primary School, we believe that Science is a vital part of our curriculum. Our Science teaching is active, engaging, and challenging, designed to build pupils’ Science Capital and help them appreciate the value and importance of Science in the world around them. Through Science, we aim to develop creativity, problem-solving, and technical skills that are essential for understanding and shaping the modern world.

We have created a bespoke Science curriculum that is carefully tailored to the needs, interests, and experiences of our children at Carlton. It aligns with our whole-school curriculum offer, ensuring that lessons are creative, purposeful, and inspiring—capturing pupils’ attention and curiosity.

Our curriculum is thoughtfully sequenced to enable pupils to revisit and build upon previous learning, strengthening understanding and supporting long-term retention of key scientific concepts. Lessons are designed to avoid cognitive overload by introducing new ideas in manageable steps and to avoid passivity by promoting active participation, discussion, and hands-on investigation.

We recognise that it is every member of staff’s responsibility to inspire a passion for Science and to nurture confident, curious learners who are skilled in scientific enquiry.

Our intent is to:

• Promote curiosity and enquiry: Through regular practical investigations, we encourage pupils’ natural curiosity and help them to question and seek answers about the world around them; while enjoying their learning.
• Inspire passion and confidence: Foster a lifelong interest in Science and develop pupils’ abilities to work scientifically through observation, prediction, testing, and evaluation.
• Build scientific knowledge and understanding: Equip pupils with the knowledge required to understand the uses and implications of Science, both today and in the future.
• Harness natural excitement and creativity: Inspire children to think critically, explore ideas, and pursue scientific enquiry with enthusiasm.
• Develop conceptual understanding: Ensure that pupils know and understand key concepts, including nature and natural phenomena, change, and energy.
• Develop disciplinary knowledge: Enable pupils to think and work like scientists: planning, enquiring, measuring, recording data, testing, predicting, reporting, and identifying evidence to support conclusions.

In summary, by teaching both the products of Science (substantive knowledge) and the practices of Science (disciplinary knowledge), we aim to foster an appreciation of the nature and status of scientific knowledge. Our pupils will understand how Science contributes to solving global challenges and the wide range of valuable careers that support economic, environmental, and social development.

Implementation

 At Carlton Primary School, Science is taught both as a discrete subject and, where appropriate, through meaningful links with other curriculum areas. This approach allows pupils to develop a deep and connected understanding of scientific ideas, while nurturing curiosity and promoting long-term retention.

Our bespoke Science curriculum has been carefully created and designed to meet the needs, interests, and experiences of the children at Carlton. It provides a clear, progressive sequence of learning that builds knowledge and understanding year on year. The curriculum is underpinned by our commitment to developing Science Capital and ensuring pupils appreciate the value and relevance of Science in the world around them.

Teachers have a strong understanding of the content taught in the years before and after their own, enabling them to place each unit within the broader learning journey. Key knowledge and skills are clearly mapped within our Knowledge Progressions, ensuring coherence, continuity, and clear progression across the school.

Some of our classes are  mixed-age therefore we follow a two-year rolling programme that guarantees full coverage of all strands of the National Curriculum. Topics are sequenced so that children encounter key concepts in a logical and cumulative order, revisiting and deepening their understanding over time. This flexible approach allows teachers to tailor content to the needs of their class, ensuring all statutory requirements are met by the end of each key stage.

Science is taught fortnightly  throughout the academic year, and provision is regularly monitored by the Science Subject Leader to ensure quality, progression, and consistency.

Working Scientifically skills are embedded throughout every topic, enabling pupils to think and work like real scientists; questioning, predicting, testing, observing, measuring, recording, and evaluating evidence. These enquiry skills are taught and revisited through our ‘Scientific Superheroes’, each representing a key aspect of scientific enquiry. This engaging and memorable approach helps children to make clear connections between practical work and the core disciplinary knowledge of Science, while promoting enthusiasm, confidence, and independence.

Teachers explicitly teach scientific vocabulary (“star words”), supporting pupils to use precise terminology confidently and to understand how familiar words may have specific meanings in a scientific context (e.g. solution, law, conductor).

Teachers at Carlton adapt planning and delivery to meet the individual needs of their pupils. Progression and continuity are evident through a structured cycle of short-, medium-, and long-term planning, all aligned with the National Curriculum. Every child has the opportunity to engage with Science at their own level of development, with lessons differentiated to ensure accessibility and challenge. Science at Carlton is active, creative, and practical, with a strong emphasis on investigation, exploration, and hands-on learning. Lessons are designed to capture pupils’ attention, revisit prior learning, avoid cognitive overload, and prevent passivity; ensuring that all children are active participants in their scientific learning journey. Through this carefully designed and creative approach, we ensure that all pupils develop secure scientific knowledge, strong enquiry skills, and a lasting curiosity about the world around them. At Carlton Primary School, a variety of teaching and learning approaches are used in Science lessons to develop children’s knowledge, skills, and understanding. Lessons are designed to be engaging, practical, and enquiry-led, fostering curiosity and promoting active participation. Science learning takes place through a combination of whole-class teaching and enquiry-based activities, allowing pupils to explore concepts independently or collaboratively. Children are encouraged to ask as well as answer scientific questions, promoting curiosity, critical thinking, and deeper understanding. Pupils have the opportunity to use a range of data and resources, including statistics, graphs, images, and photographs, to support their investigations. Computing and digital resources are integrated into lessons where they enhance learning, analysis, or presentation of scientific findings. Children participate in class discussions, presentations, and reporting, developing communication skills alongside scientific understanding. Science lessons incorporate a wide variety of problem-solving activities, challenging pupils to apply their knowledge and think critically. Wherever possible, pupils are involved in real-life scientific activities, including experiments, investigations, and practical applications.  Learning is enriched through visits from science professionals and external experts, helping children to see the relevance of Science in everyday life and potential future careers. At Carlton Primary School, the role of a subject leader is to provide professional leadership and management for a subject to secure high-quality teaching, effective use of resources, and improved standards of learning and achievement for all pupils. The Science Leader has overall responsibility for securing high standards of teaching and learning in Science, as well as contributing to the development of school policy and practice. Their work ensures that the Science curriculum meets the needs and aspirations of all pupils and raises standards of achievement across the school.

Key responsibilities include: Leadership and support: Provide guidance, motivation, and support to teachers and staff, promoting best practice and continuous professional development. Curriculum development: Lead the implementation of the Science curriculum, ensuring it is progressive, engaging, and tailored to meet the needs of our pupils. Monitoring teaching and learning: Undertake regular monitoring activities to gain a clear understanding of what is being taught, pupil progress, and learning outcomes. Use this information to identify strengths and areas for development. Staff training and mentoring: Address areas for development through coaching, mentoring, and targeted professional development opportunities. Resource management: Ensure the effective use and organisation of Science resources across the school, maintaining and purchasing materials as needed. Strategic planning: Identify subject-specific needs while considering the overall priorities of the school, ensuring that Science contributes effectively to whole-school goals and pupil achievement. Keeping up to date: Stay informed about developments in Science education and disseminate relevant information to colleagues to enhance teaching and learning. Through these responsibilities, the Science Leader ensures that all pupils at Carlton receive a high-quality Science education, develop scientific knowledge and enquiry skills, and cultivate curiosity and confidence as learners.

Impact 

 At Carlton Primary School, the impact of our bespoke Science curriculum is that all children see themselves as scientists. They develop curiosity, confidence, and a lifelong passion for exploring and understanding the world around them.

Through engaging, practical, and enquiry-led learning, children:

Believe they can be scientists they ask thoughtful questions, show curiosity, and use their scientific skills to plan and carry out a range of enquiries with increasing independence.

Achieve well – they make excellent progress from their individual starting points to meet or exceed national expectations, regardless of background or ability, and demonstrate secure understanding of the knowledge and skills set out in the Science National Curriculum.

Think critically and solve problems – they analyse information, evaluate evidence, and make reasoned, informed decisions, developing essential skills for lifelong learning.

Make real-world connections – they understand how scientific principles explain everyday phenomena and appreciate the relevance of Science to their lives, communities, and the wider world.

Work collaboratively and communicate effectively – they share ideas, listen to others, and respect diverse viewpoints, developing important teamwork and communication skills.

Show environmental awareness and responsibility – they understand their role in protecting the planet and apply their scientific understanding to make positive choices for a sustainable future.

Demonstrate resilience and curiosity – they approach challenges with perseverance, learning that experimentation, failure, and reflection are key parts of scientific progress and personal growth.

By the time children leave Carlton Primary School, they will have the knowledge, skills, and confidence to think like scientists; questioning, investigating, and reasoning about the world around them and will be well-prepared for the next stage of their scientific learning and beyond.

Course Outline

The benefits of science at primary school are many. It helps pupils to: investigate problems, discover why it matters in the world and develop skills needed for answering questions effectively!