KS1 Science
Intent
The principal focus of science teaching in Key Stage One is to enable pupils to experience and observe the world around them. They are encouraged to be curious and ask questions about what they notice. Through thinking scientifically pupils develop their understanding by using different types of scientific enquiry to answer their own questions. This includes observing changes over a period of time, noticing patterns, grouping and classifying things and carrying out simple comparative tests.
Knowledge and Key Skills Progression Grids:
SCIENCE – EYFS & KS1 Knowledge and Key Skills – updated December 2023
Implementation
In Key Stage One, science is taught within six programmes of study:
- Working Scientifically
- Plants
- Animals (including humans)
- Everyday Materials
- Seasonal Change (Year One)
- Living Things and Their Habitats
In Key Stage One, children are given the opportunity to revisit, apply and extend scientific knowledge and skills within each programme of study on a termly basis. Teachers utilise the local environment and seasonal change to allow children to question, observe changes, sort, classify, test and practically investigate. Working scientifically is a fundamental skill, which is embedded across the curriculum throughout the year.
For more information on termly curriculum content and coverage of key skills and knowledge, please visit our class pages, where you will find termly Curriculum Information for Parents.
Impact
By the end of Key Stage One most children:
Working Scientifically
- Ask simple scientific questions, suggest way to answer those questions and make simple predictions.
- Carry out simple test including tests to classify, comparative tests, pattern seeking enquiries and making observations over time.
- Gather and record data, using photographs, videos, drawings, labelled diagrams, writing, prepared tables, pictograms, tally charts and block graphs.
- Use prior knowledge to support conclusions.
- Evaluate an investigation to say what went well and offer suggestions for improvement
- Use scientific vocabulary to communicate findings to a range of audiences.
Plants
- Identify and name a variety of plants and animals in their habitats, including micro-habitats.
- Observe and describe how seeds and bulbs grow into mature plants, describing what plants need in order to grow and stay healthy, demonstrating an understanding of the basic life cycle of a plant.
Animals (including humans)
- Notice that animals, including humans, have offspring which grow into adults and talk about the lifecycle of a human: baby, child, teenager, adult.
- Describe the process of growth and reproduction of animals: for example, the lifecycles of caterpillars, chicks, frogs.
- Describe the basic needs of animals, including humans, for survival: water, food, air and describe the importance for humans of exercise, eating the right amounts of different types of food, and hygiene.
Everyday Materials
- Identify and compare the suitability of everyday materials, (including wood, metal, plastic, glass, brick, rock, paper and cardboard for particular uses.)
- Know why materials are suitable or unsuitable for a purpose based on their properties.
- Know how the shapes of solid objects made from some materials can be changed by squashing, bending, twisting and stretching.
Living Things and their Habit
- Explore and compare the difference 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, describing how different habitats provide the basic needs of different kinds of animals and plants.
- Describe how different kinds of animals and plants in the same habitat depend on each other identify and name a variety of plants and animals in their habitat, including micro-habitats.
- Describe how animals obtain their food from plants and other animals, using a simple food chain, identifying and naming different sources of food.
