At Burnside Primary School, we recognise that a high-quality science education is the key to understanding the world around us through the core disciplines of biology, chemistry, and physics. Our curriculum equips pupils to use science to explain how the world works, predict how things will behave, and analyse causes—essential critical thinking skills that enable our children to discover truth, question evidence, and navigate an information-rich world.

Our Science curriculum is explicitly structured around our school motto, be safe, be smart, be kind, ensuring every pupil is supported to thrive, achieve, and belong.

How Science Reflects Our Values

• Be Safe: Practical enquiry is at the heart of our science learning. Pupils learn how to handle equipment responsibly, follow safety guidelines during hands-on investigations, and respect living things and their environments. By creating a safe space to test ideas, ask questions, and learn from mistakes, we empower children to thrive with confidence and curiosity.

• Be Smart: We build a deep body of key foundational knowledge (substantive knowledge) alongside precise scientific vocabulary across all year groups. By understanding complex natural phenomena, predicting outcomes, and addressing misconceptions, children develop rational explanations and the tools needed to achieve academic excellence.

• Be Kind: Science shows us how interconnected our world truly is. Through collaborative group work, fair testing, and learning about environmental sustainability, pupils learn to work respectfully with peers, care for our planet, and value diverse scientific contributions, fostering a true sense of belonging.

Subject Aims & Curriculum Design

Following the National Curriculum for Science, our teaching aims to ensure that all pupils:

1. Develop scientific knowledge and conceptual understanding across biology, chemistry, and physics.

2. Understand the nature, processes, and methods of science through varied types of enquiry that answer meaningful questions.

3. Are equipped with the scientific knowledge required to understand the uses, applications, and implications of science today and for the future.

Our curriculum systematically pairs substantive knowledge ("what we learn") with procedural knowledge ("how we learn"). Key concepts are revisited across year groups to ensure genuine progression, while specialist scientific vocabulary is explicitly taught at every stage.

Working as a Scientist" (Procedural Knowledge)

To apply their learning, pupils regularly engage in hands-on practical tasks categorised under six core types of scientific enquiry:

• Observing over time: Tracking changes in plants, materials, or seasonal patterns.

• Pattern seeking: Identifying relationships and trends in natural phenomena.

• Identifying, classifying, and grouping: Sorting living things, rocks, or forces using clear criteria.

• Comparative and fair testing: Conducting controlled investigations with clear variables.

• Researching using secondary sources: Exploring scientific discoveries and historical figures.

• Applying mathematical skills: Collecting, presenting, and analysing data using tables, charts, and graphs.

Through these carefully planned investigations, every child at Burnside Primary gains the confidence, curiosity, and skills to explore the world as a scientist.