Welcome to Science

Why do we learn science?

We aspire that all children at Franklin will have the knowledge and curiosity to question the world around them and see science in their everyday lives. We want children to ask big questions about the world and suggest ways of finding answers. We have thought carefully about how we have sequenced our curriculum so that substantive knowledge (e.g. friction is a contact force that slows moving objects down) and disciplinary knowledge (e.g. ways of testing, interpreting graphs, using scientific equipment) are woven together and build upon each other so that children know more, remember more and can do more within the science domain. Thus, children are empowered with the skills and knowledge needed to work scientifically and take their learning into the world beyond Franklin.

At Franklin, our science curriculum is underpinned by a focus on stimulating curiosity, interest and enjoyment of Science through acquiring a systematic body of scientific knowledge, between different areas of Science. We believe that to understand science, key concepts must be developed over time in the curriculum so that children can build on strong foundations and engage with scientific ideas, grasping more complex principles as they advance through the school. Children will revisit key topic areas but each time they visit the the topic they will encounter increasing challenge and complexity.

To provide students with a well-rounded understanding of science, we meticulously map out both substantive and disciplinary knowledge. We emphasise the connections between these two types of knowledge, ensuring our pupils understand how scientific knowledge becomes established and is revised. We prioritise the cultivation of disciplinary knowledge essential for effective scientific enquiry. Our curriculum places a strong emphasis on enabling students to actively participate in a diverse range of scientific investigations. We identify the disciplinary knowledge that can be effectively gleaned through hands-on practical work and ensure it is integrated into a well-structured progression, thus equipping students with the specific expertise required for successful scientific work.

Our approach

Our curriculum emphasises the importance of explicitly teaching how new content connects to students' pre-existing schema. In lessons, we take the time to help students understand how new scientific concepts and information relate to what they already know, using re-cap time and quizzes to embed prior knowledge.

We place a strong emphasis on practical work that is not only engaging but also purposeful in relation to our curriculum. Our purpose-built science lab enables pupils to carry out a wide range of interesting and exciting experiments in areas as diverse as plants, electricity, sound, and friction.

At Franklin, science is taught weekly to all pupils. This dedicated time allows us to ensure that students have regular opportunities to engage with and retain key scientific knowledge. We believe that consistent exposure to science concepts is essential for building a strong foundation in the subject.

Franklin pupils develop from regular science excursions, workshops and visitors that bring the subject to life and enrich our pupils’ experience. Through these, children are explicitly guided to an understanding that science is an important part of everyday life. Pupils also have the opportunity to attend an after-school science enrichment club.

Year 1

Autumn
Everyday Materials Identify and compare materials including wood, plastic, glass, metal, water and rock Distinguish between an object at the material from which it's made Describe the physical properties of a variety of materials

Autumn

Everyday Materials

Identify and compare materials including wood, plastic, glass, metal, water and rock

Distinguish between an object at the material from which it's made

Describe the physical properties of a variety of materials

Spring
Animals, including humans Identify and name a variety of common animals including fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals 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.

Spring

Animals, including humans

Identify and name a variety of common animals including fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals

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.

Summer 1	Summer 2
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 flowering plants, including trees.	Seasons Observe changes across the four seasons Observe and describe weather associated with the seasons and how day length varies.

Summer 1

Summer 2

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 flowering plants, including trees.

Seasons

Observe changes across the four seasons

Observe and describe weather associated with the seasons and how day length varies.

All Year 1 subjects Next Year 1 Subject - History

Year 2

Autumn
Use of Everyday Materials Identify and compare the suitability of a variety 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.

Autumn

Use of Everyday Materials

Identify and compare the suitability of a variety 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.

Spring
Animals, including Humans Notice that animals, including humans, have offspring which grow into adults Find out about and describe the basic needs of animals, including humans, for survival (water, food and air) Describe the importance for humans of exercise, eating the right amounts of different types of food, and hygiene.

Spring

Animals, including Humans

Notice that animals, including humans, have offspring which grow into adults

Find out about and describe the basic needs of animals, including humans, for survival (water, food and air)

Describe the importance for humans of exercise, eating the right amounts of different types of food, and hygiene.

Summer 1	Summer 2
Plants 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.	Living Things and their Habitats 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.

Summer 1

Summer 2

Plants

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.

Living Things and their Habitats

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.

All Year 2 subjects Next Year 2 Subject - History

Year 3

Autumn 1	Autumn 2
Rocks 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 things that have lived are trapped within rock Recognise that soils are made from rocks and organic matter.	Animals, including Humans Identify that animals, including humans, need the right types and amount 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.

Autumn 1

Autumn 2

Rocks

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 things that have lived are trapped within rock

Recognise that soils are made from rocks and organic matter.

Animals, including Humans

Identify that animals, including humans, need the right types and amount 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.

Spring
Light Recognise that we need light in order to see things and that dark is the absence 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 the light from a light source is blocked by an opaque object Find patterns in the way that the size of shadows change.

Spring

Light

Recognise that we need light in order to see things and that dark is the absence 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 the light from a light source is blocked by an opaque object

Find patterns in the way that the size of shadows change.

Summer 1	Summer 2
Plants 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 from soil, and room to grow) and how they vary from plant to plant Investigate the way in which water is transported within plants Explore the part that flowers play in the life cycle of flowering plants, including pollination, seed formation and seed dispersal.	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 two magnets will attract or repel each other, depending on which poles are facing.

Summer 1

Summer 2

Plants

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 from soil, and room to grow) and how they vary from plant to plant

Investigate the way in which water is transported within plants

Explore the part that flowers play in the life cycle of flowering plants, including pollination, seed formation and seed dispersal.

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 two magnets will attract or repel each other, depending on which poles are facing.

All Year 3 subjects Next Year 3 Subject - History

Year 4

Autumn 1	Autumn 2
Electricity Identify common appliances that run on electricity Construct a simple series electrical circuit, identifying and naming its 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.	Sound Identify how sounds are made, associating some of them with something vibrating Recognise that vibrations from sounds travel through a medium to the ear Find patterns between the pitch of a sound and features of the object that produced it Find patterns between the volume of a sound and the strength of the vibrations that produced it Recognise that sounds get fainter as the distance from the sound source increases.

Autumn 1

Autumn 2

Electricity

Identify common appliances that run on electricity

Construct a simple series electrical circuit, identifying and naming its 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.

Sound

Identify how sounds are made, associating some of them with something vibrating

Recognise that vibrations from sounds travel through a medium to the ear

Find patterns between the pitch of a sound and features of the object that produced it

Find patterns between the volume of a sound and the strength of the vibrations that produced it

Recognise that sounds get fainter as the distance from the sound source increases.

Spring 1
Animals, including Humans 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.

Spring 1

Animals, including Humans

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.

Summer 1	Summer 2
States of Matter 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 (°C) Identify the part played by evaporation and condensation in the water cycle and associate the rate of evaporation with temperature.	Living Things and their Habitats 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.

Summer 1

Summer 2

States of Matter

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 (°C)

Identify the part played by evaporation and condensation in the water cycle and associate the rate of evaporation with temperature.

Living Things and their Habitats

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.

All Year 4 subjects Next Year 4 Subject - History

Year 5

Autumn 1	Autumn 2
Earth and Space Describe the movement 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.	Forces 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 levers, pulleys and gears, allow a smaller force to have a greater effect

Autumn 1

Autumn 2

Earth and Space

Describe the movement 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.

Forces

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 levers, pulleys and gears, allow a smaller force to have a greater effect

Spring
Properties and Changes of Materials 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 form a solution, and describe how to recover a substance from a solution Give reasons, based on evidence from comparative and fair tests, for the particular uses of everyday materials, including metals, wood and plastic

Spring

Properties and Changes of Materials

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 form a solution, and describe how to recover a substance from a solution

Give reasons, based on evidence from comparative and fair tests, for the particular uses of everyday materials, including metals, wood and plastic

Summer
Life Cycles and Reproduction 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 animals (link life cycles) Describe the life process of reproduction in some plants Describe the changes as humans develop to old age

Summer

Life Cycles and Reproduction

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 animals (link life cycles)

Describe the life process of reproduction in some plants

Describe the changes as humans develop to old age

All Year 5 subjects Next Year 5 Subject - History

Year 6

Autumn 1	Autumn 2
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 evolution	Animals, including Humans 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

Autumn 1

Autumn 2

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 evolution

Animals, including Humans

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

Spring 1	Spring 2
Electricity Associate the brightness of a lamp or the volume of a buzzer with the number and voltage of cells used in the circuit Understand how electricity has changed over time 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	Light 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 to 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.

Spring 1

Spring 2

Electricity

Associate the brightness of a lamp or the volume of a buzzer with the number and voltage of cells used in the circuit

Understand how electricity has changed over time

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

Light

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 to 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.

Summer
Living Things and their Habitats 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

Summer

Living Things and their Habitats

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

All Year 6 subjects Next Year 6 Subject - History

Welcome to Science

Why do we learn science?

Our approach

Year 1

Year 2

Year 3

Year 4

Year 5

Year 6

info@arkfranklinprimary.org

020 8969 3846

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Welcome to Science

Why do we learn science?

Our approach

Year 1

Year 2

Year 3

Year 4

Year 5

Year 6