Science
Ashton Hayes Primary School – Science Curriculum Overview
Vision for Science
At Ashton Hayes Primary School, our vision is to nurture curiosity, foster a sense of wonder about the world, and inspire all children to become confident and reflective scientific thinkers. Set within our rural Cheshire community, our science curriculum encourages children to connect their local environment — its woodlands, wildlife, weather, and materials — to the wider world, developing both practical skills and deep conceptual understanding. In Science, we have high expectations for all pupils, including those who are disadvantaged and those with SEND. Teaching is adapted to meet pupils’ needs so that all learners can access the Science National Curriculum and make progress. Staff use clear explanations, appropriate support and resources to remove barriers to learning while maintaining ambition. Ongoing assessment is used to identify gaps in understanding and provide timely support, ensuring all pupils can develop secure scientific knowledge and skills.
We aim for all pupils to:
- Develop secure knowledge and understanding of key scientific concepts.
- Learn to work scientifically through a range of enquiry types, developing curiosity, questioning, and resilience.
- See science as relevant to their lives, fostering an awareness of sustainability and care for the natural world.
- Build the foundations for future scientific learning and critical thinking.
Implementation
Science at Ashton Hayes Primary School is taught through a carefully sequenced curriculum that ensures full coverage of the National Curriculum and clear progression of both scientific knowledge and working scientifically skills across the school.
The curriculum is organised into a two-year rolling programme in mixed-age classes, ensuring that all pupils receive their full entitlement to the science curriculum without repetition or gaps in learning. Units are structured so that pupils revisit key concepts over time, deepening their understanding and making links between different areas of science.
Pupils study a balance of biology, chemistry and physics units across each key stage. In Key Stage 1, pupils focus on developing their understanding of everyday materials, plants, animals and seasonal change through observation and simple investigations. As pupils move into Key Stage 2, they build on this knowledge by studying more complex concepts such as forces, electricity, states of matter, Earth and space, and evolution.
Working scientifically is embedded throughout all units. Pupils are taught to ask questions, make predictions, carry out investigations, observe and measure, record data, and draw conclusions. These skills are carefully developed so that pupils move from simple exploration in the early years to planning and carrying out more independent enquiries in upper Key Stage 2.
Practical enquiry is at the heart of science teaching at Ashton Hayes Primary School. Lessons are designed to be hands-on and engaging, allowing pupils to investigate scientific questions and develop their understanding through first-hand experiences.
Our local context is used wherever possible to make learning meaningful. The village of Ashton Hayes provides rich opportunities for environmental and ecological study, particularly through its work as a carbon-neutral community. Pupils explore local habitats, seasonal changes and environmental issues, helping them to understand how science is relevant to their everyday lives.
Teachers adapt learning to ensure that all pupils can access the curriculum. This includes the use of visual resources, structured support, practical activities and collaborative learning. Scientific vocabulary is explicitly taught and revisited to support pupils in developing their understanding and communication.
Enrichment opportunities, such as local fieldwork, environmental projects and links with the wider community, further enhance pupils’ engagement with science and deepen their understanding of scientific concepts.
Impact
Through the science curriculum at Ashton Hayes Primary School, pupils develop a secure and coherent understanding of key scientific concepts across biology, chemistry and physics. They build knowledge progressively over time, enabling them to make connections between different areas of science.
Pupils leave the school with a strong foundation in working scientifically. They are able to ask questions, plan and carry out investigations, use equipment appropriately, record and interpret data, and draw conclusions based on evidence. They develop the ability to think scientifically and approach problems with curiosity and confidence.
By engaging in a wide range of practical enquiries, pupils develop independence and resilience as learners. They understand that science is a process of investigation and discovery, and that results can be tested, questioned and refined.
Through studying science in both local and global contexts, pupils gain an understanding of how scientific knowledge is applied in the real world. They develop an awareness of environmental issues and sustainability, particularly through their understanding of the work taking place in Ashton Hayes and beyond.
Pupils leave Ashton Hayes Primary School with a curiosity about the natural world, a secure understanding of scientific concepts, and the skills needed to continue their scientific learning in secondary education. They are equipped to think critically, ask questions and understand the role that science plays in shaping the world around them.