At St Matthew’s, our science curriculum is designed to nurture children’s curiosity, encouraging them to ask questions, explore ideas, and develop a deeper understanding of the world around them. We want pupils not only to learn scientific knowledge but to think like scientists.

How Science Is Taught

As pupils move through the academy, they have increasing opportunities to:

• Carry out practical investigations with growing independence

• Use a range of scientific equipment safely and accurately

• Research information using books, digital tools, and other resources

• Develop strategies to observe, measure, record, and analyse what they discover

• Present their findings in different ways, including charts, graphs, diagrams, tables, drawings, and written explanations

Our lessons encourage pupils to apply scientific thinking—predicting, questioning, testing ideas, and evaluating results.

Statutory Requirements

The teaching of science at St Matthew’s follows the National Curriculum for Science (Key Stages 1 and 2), which remains statutory for the 2025–2026 academic year. The curriculum requires that pupils are taught to develop:

1. Scientific Knowledge and Conceptual Understanding

Children learn about key areas including:

• Plants, animals, and living things

• Materials and their properties

• Seasonal changes and weather

• Electricity

• Forces and magnets

• Light and sound

• Earth and space

• Evolution and inheritance (Upper KS2)

2. The Nature, Processes and Methods of Science

Across all year groups, pupils must learn to:

• Ask scientific questions

• Conduct simple and comparative tests

• Make careful observations and take measurements

• Gather and record data

• Use results to draw conclusions

• Identify patterns and make predictions

• Evaluate methods and suggest improvements

These are the foundations of working scientifically and must be embedded within all science teaching.

3. Scientific Vocabulary

The curriculum also requires children to learn and use age-appropriate scientific terminology with increasing accuracy.

Cross-Curricular Learning

Science at St Matthew’s links naturally with other subjects, helping children understand how their learning connects across the curriculum. For example:

• Computing – using digital tools to collect, log, and present data

• Maths – measuring, comparing results, using graphs and tables

• Art and Design – drawing scientific diagrams, illustrating life cycles, representing habitats

• English – writing explanations, reports, and conclusions

Topics We Teach

Our science curriculum includes engaging units such as:

• Light and Sound

• Changing Materials

• Forces in Action

• Life Cycles and Living Things

• Habitats and Eco-systems

• Healthy Living and the Human Body

These topics give children exciting opportunities to investigate scientific ideas and make sense of the world through practical, hands-on learning.