Science

Intent - What we want for our developing scientists?

At Horn’s Mill, our science curriculum is designed to ignite curiosity, foster a lifelong love of learning, and develop confident, independent scientists. We provide a broad, engaging, and inclusive curriculum that deepens understanding of the natural world, develops critical thinking, and equips children with the skills and knowledge they need to succeed both now and in the future.

Our intent is for children to:

• Be inspired and curious about the world around them.
• Access a progressive, purposeful, and broad curriculum covering biology, chemistry, and physics from key stage 1.
• Develop confidence in scientific enquiry skills, including questioning, predicting, observing, investigating, recording, and evaluating.
• Build secure scientific knowledge and conceptual understanding, systematically developed year on year.
• Think like scientists by testing ideas, interpreting evidence, and considering the uses and implications of science in the real world.
• Use high-quality texts and cross-curricular links to explore new concepts and deepen understanding.
• Experience hands-on, inclusive, and culturally relevant learning that connects science to everyday life.
• Develop resilience, independence, and problem-solving skills through enquiry-based learning.
• Gain the scientific literacy, confidence, and motivation to continue developing knowledge and skills through school and beyond.

Implementation - How is the science curriculum delivered?

Our science curriculum is delivered to engage, challenge, and inspire all children while ensuring clear progression of knowledge and skills:

• Science is taught weekly, with a focus on a specific unit each half term, sequenced to build on prior learning and make meaningful connections across topics and subjects.
• Lessons are practical and enquiry-based, encouraging children to explore, investigate, and ask their own questions. Curiosity is celebrated and nurtured in every classroom.
• Working Scientifically skills are embedded throughout lessons and developed progressively from EYFS through KS2, enabling children to become systematic, independent, and confident in planning and carrying out investigations.

Throughout each unit, children get the opportunity to develop their skills in one of the following areas:

The children’s skills will be developed within a specific enquiry type:

• Teachers model the use of scientific equipment and enquiry techniques, while key vocabulary and challenging concepts are introduced explicitly and revisited across topics and year groups.
• Planning is inclusive and adapted to meet the needs of all learners, with strategies such as STRATA objectives where appropriate.
• Assessment is ongoing through observation, questioning, elicitation tasks, and retrieval activities, ensuring gaps are addressed and misconceptions corrected.

• Outdoor learning, expert-led workshops, and enrichment events such as Science Week /Sustainability Week, and STEM ambassador visits which all provide real-world experiences and develop science capital.

• Cross-curricular links are used to reinforce learning, e.g., linking English texts or history topics to scientific concepts, ensuring knowledge and skills are applied in varied contexts.

Reading across the curriculum

In order to develop children's reading skills, our teaching staff plan opportunities for children to independently read age-appropriate texts that link to the science unit being studied, or for revisiting that which has been previously taught. Once children have learned to read, they are able to access Collins Big Cat titles that enrich the wider curriculum alongside a subscription with an education library service (ELS) Through ELS, classes are provided with a range of age appropriate, unit specific books. Whole class reading lessons from Year 2 and throughout KS2 are intentionally sequenced to develop children's background knowledge and widen their subject-specific vocabulary.

Impact - How do we know our science curriculum is effective?

The impact of our science curriculum is measured through assessment, observation, and pupil voice to ensure learning is retained, understood, and applied:

• Children demonstrate knowledge and skills through practical investigations, written work, presentations, and class discussions.
• Pupils use scientific vocabulary confidently and articulate their understanding clearly.
• Regular assessment, retrieval tasks, book looks, and teacher observations monitor progression, identify gaps, and ensure high standards across all year groups.
• Outdoor learning and real-world experiences deepen understanding and make science engaging and meaningful.
• Pupil Voice provides insight into how children feel about their learning, helping to evaluate whether our approach inspires curiosity, secures knowledge, and supports independent scientific thinking.
• Learning journeys and classroom displays celebrate achievements and reinforce key concepts, supporting recall and ongoing skill development.
• By the end of KS2, children leave Horn’s Mill as confident, resilient scientists who can think critically, work systematically, and apply their knowledge independently.
• Pupils are well-prepared for secondary science, equipped with the curiosity, skills, and motivation to continue their scientific journey

If you have any further enquiries relating to the science curriculum, please email Miss Foster on hfoster@hornsmill.cheshire.sch.uk