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Science

Intent

At Sayes Court school, we aim to foster a lifelong love of science by nurturing curiosity and critical thinking from the earliest years. Using the White Rose Science scheme, we ensure that our students develop a solid foundation in both scientific knowledge and a variety of scientific skills. By the time they leave Year 6, children will have experienced a wide range of practical investigations and will have the confidence to ask questions, hypothesise, and record their findings in a structured way.

How Practice Looks Like

Our lessons follow a carefully planned progression, starting from EYFS and continuing through to Year 6:

The White Rose Science curriculum allows us to build on prior knowledge, ensuring that scientific concepts are revisited and deepened over time.

In the early years, children explore the world around them through hands-on experiences, developing observational skills.

Each lesson is crafted to be interactive and engaging, with a strong focus on practical investigations that encourage hands-on learning.

Children record their work in structured books that allow for clear presentation of their investigations, including spaces for predictions, observations, and conclusions.

Excellent book resources and interactive slides from White Rose guide lessons and support the learning process.

Resources cover a wide variety of scientific skills, including questioning, predicting, experimenting, and evaluating, while also building essential scientific knowledge across biology, chemistry, and physics.

Assessment

Each block of the White Rose Science curriculum ends with an assessment designed to check children’s understanding of key concepts and skills covered:

Assessments consist of a mix of practical and written tasks, providing insight into children’s scientific thinking and their ability to communicate their understanding.

Regular assessments help teachers identify areas where further support is needed, ensuring every child can succeed in science.

Resources

We utilise a range of high-quality resources to ensure that our science lessons are engaging, interactive, and grounded in real-world inquiry:
Interactive Tools and Slides: The White Rose Science scheme provides excellent support with interactive tools and slides, used in every lesson to guide teaching and enhance understanding.
Structured Recording Books: White Rose books offer structured templates for recording experiments, observations, and conclusions, promoting a systematic approach to scientific inquiry.

Practical Equipment: We emphasize the use of practical equipment for experiments and hands-on investigations, allowing children to test theories, collect data, and gain firsthand experience of the scientific method.

Science Topics by Year Group

Year group

Nursery

Reception

Year 1

Year 2

Year 3

Year 4

Year 5

Year 6

Autumn 1

Exploring Autumn

Value: Respect

Learning Habit: Independence

EDI: Diversity

Animals
Food
Our Body

Value: Respect

Learning Habit: Independence

EDI: Diversity

Animals including humans- About Animals

Value: Respect

Learning Habit: Independence

EDI: Diversity

Animals including humans- Health and Diet

Value: Respect

Learning Habit: Cooperation

EDI: Equality

Animals including humans-What makes us

Value: Curiosity

Learning Habit: Independence

EDI: Equality

Animals including humans-Food and Digestion

Value: Curiosity

Learning Habit: Independence

EDI

Studying living things

Value: Mutual respect

Learning Habit: Cooperation

EDI: Inclusion

Animals including humans- Blood transportation

Value: Respect

Learning Habit: Independence

EDI: Diversity

Autumn 2

Sparkle and Shine

Value: Honesty

Learning Habit: Resilience

EDI:

The senses
Weather and seasons

Value: Tolerance

Learning Habit: Resilience

EDI: Diversity

Exploring Everyday Materials

Value: Curiosity

Learning Habit: Honesty

EDI

Everyday Materials

Value: Curiosity

Learning Habit: Independence

EDI

Magnets

Value: Rule of law

Learning Habit: Resilience

EDI: Diversity

States of matter

Value: Curiosity

Learning Habit: Resilience

EDI

Trip : Science Museum

Properties of materials

Value: Honesty

Learning Habit: Independence

EDI

Light

Value:

Learning Habit: Cooperation

EDI:

Spring 1

Winter Wonderland

Value: Kindness

Learning Habit: Cooperation

EDI: Inclusion

Plants
Insects

Value: Kindness

Learning Habit: Cooperation

EDI: Diversity

Seasonal Changes

Value: Tolerance

Learning Habit: Independence

EDI: Diversity

Living things and their Habitats

Value: Mutual Respect

Learning Habit: Resilience

EDI: Diversity

Exploring the world of plants

Value: Kindness

Learning Habit: Cooperation

EDI: Inclusion

Classifying living things and their habitats

Value: Respect

Learning Habit: Independence

EDI: Diversity

Earth and space

Value: Kindness

Learning Habit: Cooperation

EDI: Diversity

Trip: Planetarium

Living things and their habitats

Value: Mutual Respect

Learning Habit: Independence

EDI: Equality

Trip: Bird world

Spring 2

Puddles and Rainbows

Value: Tolerance

Learning Habit: Independence

EDI:

Trip: In school farm/ Zoolab

Wisely garden

Space
Forces

Value: Curiosity

Learning Habit: Cooperation

EDI: Diversity

Uses of Everyday Materials

Value: Respect

Learning Habit: Resilience

EDI:

Living things and their habitats – Habitats around the world

Value: Empathy

Learning Habit: Cooperation

EDI: Diversity

Rocks

Value: Tolerance

Learning Habit: Independence

EDI

Sound

Value: Tolerance

Learning Habit: Cooperation

EDI

Changes of materials

Value: Tolerance

Learning Habit: Independence

EDI: Diversity

Evolution and inheritance

Value: Tolerance

Learning Habit: Cooperation

EDI: Diversity

Summer 1

Build it up

Value: Curiosity

Learning Habit: Cooperation

EDI:

Materials
Machines

Value: Curiosity

Learning Habit: Cooperation

EDI: Diversity

Introduction to Plants

Value: Curiosity

Learning Habit: Independence

EDI

Trip : Local Farm

Plants Growth and care

Value: Respect

Learning Habit: Independence

EDI

Trip : Wisely garden

Light

Value: Curiosity

Learning Habit: Independence

EDI

Electricity

Value:Tolerance

Learning Habit: Independence

EDI

Forces

Value: Curiosity

Learning Habit: Independence

EDI:

Electricity

Value: Tolerance

Learning Habit: Independence

EDI

Summer 2

Animal Safari

Value: Mutual respect

Learning Habit: Cooperation

EDI

Activity: Incredible Eggs

The beach
Health and Safety

Value:Respect

Learning Habit: Cooperation

EDI: Diversity

Trip : At seaside

Animals including Humans- About Me

Value: Respect

Learning Habit: Independence

EDI: Diversity

Animals including Humans-Growth

Value: Respect

Learning Habit: Independence

EDI

Plants lifecycle

Value: Kindness

Learning Habit: Independence

EDI: Diversity

Living things and their habitats -Nature and the environment

Value: Kindness

Learning Habit: Cooperation

EDI: Equality

Animals including humans – The human life cycle

Value: Respect

Learning Habit: Resilience

EDI: Inclusion

Animals including humans -The heart and health

Value: Respect

Learning Habit: Resilience

EDI

Progression of Skills and Knowledge

Progression of Skills and Knowledge in Science – Working scientifically:

NB: Investigations and experiments need to be happening on a regular basis, at least biweekly, in order to show progression in these skills.

	Year 1	Year 2	Year 3	Year 4	Year 5	Year 6
Asking questions / beginning enquiries	Ask simple questions and recognise that they can be carried out in different ways	Ask simple questions and recognise that they can be carried out in different ways	Ask relevant questions and use different types of scientific enquiry to answer them	Ask relevant questions and use different types of scientific enquiry to answer them	Plan different types of scientific enquiries to answer questions, including recognising and controlling variables where necessary Use test results to make predictions and set up further comparative and fair tests	Plan different types of scientific enquiries to answer questions, including recognising and controlling variables where necessary Use test results to make predictions and set up further comparative and fair tests
Carrying out tests	Observe closely, using simple equipment Perform simple tests	Observe closely, using simple equipment Perform simple tests	Set up simple practical enquiries, comparative and fair tests Make systematic and careful observations, taking measurements with standard units using a range of equipment	Set up simple practical enquiries, comparative and fair tests Make systematic and careful observations, taking measurements with standard units using a range of equipment	Taking measurements using a range of scientific equipment with increasing accuracy and precision	Taking measurements using a range of scientific equipment with increasing accuracy and precision
Recording information	Gather and record data to help answering questions Identify and classify	Gather and record data to help answering questions Identify and classify	Gathering, recording, classifying and presenting data in a variety of ways Recording findings using simple scientific language, drawings, labelled diagrams, keys, bar charts and tables Report on findings from enquiries in a variety of ways (results and conclusions)	Gathering, recording, classifying and presenting data in a variety of ways Recording findings using simple scientific language, drawings, labelled diagrams, keys, bar charts and tables Report on findings from enquiries in a variety of ways (results and conclusions)	Record data and results of increasing complexity using scientific diagrams and labels, classification keys, tables, scatter graph, bar and line graphs	Record data and results of increasing complexity using scientific diagrams and labels, classification keys, tables, scatter graph, bar and line graphs
Explaining results	Use their observations and ideas to suggest answers to questions	Use their observations and ideas to suggest answers to questions	Report on findings from enquiries in a variety of ways (results and conclusions Use 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 Use straightforward scientific evidence to answer questions / support findings	Report on findings from enquiries in a variety of ways (results and conclusions Use 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 Use straightforward scientific evidence to answer questions / support findings	Use test results to make predictions and set up further comparative and fair tests Reporting and presenting finding from enquiries, including conclusion, causal relationship and explanations of and degree of trust in results Identify scientific evidence that has been used to support or refute ideas in arguments	Use test results to make predictions and set up further comparative and fair tests Reporting and presenting finding from enquiries, including conclusion, causal relationship and explanations of and degree of trust in results Identify scientific evidence that has been used to support or refute ideas in argumen

Progression of Skills in Science – Scientific knowledge:

	Year 1	Year 2	Year 3	Year 4	Year 5	Year 6
Animals including humans	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 grown into adults Find out about and describe the basic needs of animals, including humans, for survival (water, food, air) Describe the importance for humans of exercise, eating the right amount of different types of food and hygiene Try a variety of healthy snacks; communicate these with parents Explore how morning exercise impacts on their ability to learn / focus Identify the importance of sleep and how to have good bedtime routines; share with parents	Identify that animals, including humans, needs the right types and amounts 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 Try a variety of healthy foods and make healthy meal alternatives; communicate these with parents Explore flexibility and link between healthy body / healthy mind through yoga type exercises	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 Identify the importance of keeping teeth clean and healthy; know how to clean teeth properly and the importance of regular visits to the dentist	Describe the changes as humans develop to old age Consider the different levels of care that different age groups need e.g. babies and the elderly, and how this should impact on our interaction with them	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
Living things		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 micro-habitats 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		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 Explore and classify the wildlife in the school and Addlestone; identify how it could be affected by future development	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
Materials / states of matter	Distinguish between an object and the material from which it is made Identify and name everyday materials such as wood, plastic, glass, metal, water, 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 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 Identify which materials we need to be careful around and how to do this e.g. what do we do when glass breaks		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 Identify the part played by evaporation and condensation in the water cycle and associate the rate of evaporation with temperature	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 forma solution, and describe how to recover a substance from a solution Use knowledge of S, L, G to decide how mixtures might be separated, including through filtering, sieving and evaporating Give reason, based on evidence from comparative and fair tests, for the particular uses of everyday materials, including metals, wood and plastic Demonstrating that dissolving, mixing and changes of state are reversible changes Explain that some changes results in the formation of new materials and this kind of change is not usually reversible, including changes associated with burning and the action of acid on bicarbonate of soda
Plants	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 and flowering plants, including trees To be able to identify and name the plants and trees in the school grounds	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 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, room) and how they vary from plant to plant Investigate the way in which water is transported in plants Explore the part that flowers play in the life cycle of flowering plants, including pollination, seed formation and seed dispersal Explore responsibility by growing own plant – watering, changing pot when too large etc.
Light and sound			Recognise that they need light in order to see things and that ark is the absences 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 light from a light source is blocked by an opaque object Find patterns in the way that the size of shadows change Identify materials as transparent, translucent or opaque	Identify how sounds are made, associating them with something vibrating Recognise that vibrations from sounds travel through a medium to the ear Find patterns between the pitch of sound and features of the object that produce it Find patterns between the volume of sound and the strength of the vibrations that produce it Recognise that sounds get fainter as the distance from the sound source increases		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 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
Forces and magnets			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 teo magnets will attract or repel each other, depending on which poles are facing		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 levels, pulleys and gears, allow a smaller force to have a greater effect
Electricity				Identify common appliances that run on electricity Construct a simple series electrical circuit, identifying and naming is 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 Know how to be safe around electricity, at school at home		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
Year group specific	Seasonal changes Observe changes across the four seasons Observe and describe weather associated with the seasons and how day length varies		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 thigs that have lived are trapped within rock Recognise that soils are made from rocks and organic matter		Earth and Space Describe the movements 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	Evolution and inheritance 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 evoluti

Subjects

Science

Science Topics by Year Group

Progression of Skills and Knowledge

Curriculum

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