🔬 Science at Ryton-on-Dunsmore

At Ryton‑on‑Dunsmore, we teach Science through the Primary Knowledge Curriculum (PKC). The PKC Science curriculum lays the foundation for pupils to understand what the discipline of science tells us about the world. We aim to ignite children’s love of science by showing them the fascinating discoveries humanity has made about the natural world.

High‑quality science education provides the foundations for understanding the world through the specific disciplines of biology, chemistry and physics. Science has transformed our lives and is vital to the world’s future prosperity. All pupils are taught essential aspects of scientific knowledge, methods, processes and their applications. As pupils build a secure body of foundational knowledge and concepts, they are encouraged to recognise the power of rational explanation and to develop a sense of excitement and curiosity about natural phenomena. They learn how science can be used to explain what is happening, predict how things will behave and analyse causes.

The Science curriculum introduces children to captivating content such as the inner workings of the human body, animals and their habitats, plant structures, forces in nature, the unseen world and the wider universe. Over time, their knowledge deepens - moving from naming parts of the human body to understanding how muscles function, how blood circulates and how the nervous system enables us to interact with our environment.

Aims
The National Curriculum for Science aims to ensure that all pupils:

• develop scientific knowledge and conceptual understanding through the disciplines of biology, chemistry and physics
• develop understanding of the nature, processes and methods of science through different types of scientific enquiry
• are equipped with the scientific knowledge required to understand the uses and implications of science today and in the future

Intended Outcomes
By the end of Key Stage 1, pupils will:

• ask simple questions and recognise that they can be answered in different ways
• observe closely using simple equipment
• perform simple tests
• identify and classify
• use observations and ideas to suggest answers to questions
• gather and record data to help answer questions

By the end of Lower Key Stage 2, pupils will:

• ask relevant questions and use different types of scientific enquiry to answer them
• set up simple practical enquiries, comparative and fair tests
• make systematic and careful observations and take accurate measurements using standard units, including thermometers and data loggers
• gather, record, classify and present data in a variety of ways
• record findings using scientific language, drawings, labelled diagrams, keys, bar charts and tables
• report on findings from enquiries through oral and written explanations, displays or presentations
• use results to draw simple conclusions, make predictions, suggest improvements and raise further questions
• identify differences, similarities or changes related to simple scientific ideas and processes
• use straightforward scientific evidence to answer questions or support findings

By the end of Upper Key Stage 2, pupils will:

• plan different types of scientific enquiries, recognising and controlling variables where necessary
• take measurements with increasing accuracy and precision, taking repeat readings when appropriate
• record data and results using scientific diagrams, classification keys, tables, scatter graphs, bar charts and line graphs
• use test results to make predictions and set up further comparative and fair tests
• report and present findings, including conclusions, causal relationships and explanations of results, in oral and written forms
• identify scientific evidence used to support or refute ideas or arguments

Teaching and Learning
Our Science curriculum builds knowledge incrementally. Pupils revisit key content throughout the curriculum, giving them multiple opportunities to secure and deepen their understanding. This approach helps children master scientific knowledge and concepts while developing an extended specialist vocabulary.

The incremental structure also enables teachers to identify and address gaps in understanding by revisiting previous content when needed. Our curriculum helps pupils appreciate the vital role science plays in sustaining life on Earth and equips them with the curiosity, passion and desire for discovery needed for success in secondary education and beyond.