Science: Lower key stage 2

Providing full curriculum coverage for science and developing pupils’ skills and knowledge across five key areas: Plants, Animals, including humans, Living things and their habitats, Materials and Forces, Earth and space.

Choose your unit

Following the units in the order set out is best to ensure a coherent approach to the progression of skills and knowledge in lower KS2 for the Science scheme of work.

Year 3

Animals: Movement and nutrition

Studying the human skeleton, children identify key bones and explore how muscle changes result in movement. They learn about how the body uses energy, what constitutes a balanced diet in humans and how research contributes to nutritionist expertise.

Forces and space: Forces and magnets

By investigating motion on different surfaces, children learn about friction and compare its uses and disadvantages. They broaden their experience in working scientifically as they investigate contact and non-contact forces. Pupils explore the properties of different magnets and apply this to understand their uses.

Materials: Rocks and soil

This unit will be available from 1st December 2023.

Energy: Light and shadows

This unit will be available from 9th February 2024.

Plants: Plant reproduction

This unit will be available from 1st April 2024.

Making connections

This unit will be available from 31st May 2024.

Bringing together pupils’ learning from multiple Science units, helping them to make connections between the key concepts and skills.

Year 4

Animals: Digestion and food

Using models, children describe the function of key organs in the digestive system. Pupils identify the types of human teeth and investigate factors that impact our dental health. They compare human teeth to other animals’ and take on the role of a naturalist investigating animal faeces for clues about diet, digestion and dentition.

Energy: Electricity and circuits

Exploring appliances in their setting that use electricity, children learn how to work with electricity safely and build circuits. Pupils investigate electrical conductors and insulators and explore the relationship between the number of cells and bulb brightness. Real scenarios and historical discoveries inform children about scientific progression and home safety.

Materials: States of matter

This unit will be available from 9th February 2024.

Energy: Sound and vibrations

This unit will be available from 1st April 2024.

Living things: Classification and changing habitats

This unit will be available from 1st December 2023.

Making connections

This unit will be available from 31st May 2024.

Bringing together pupils’ learning from multiple Science units, helping them to make connections between the key concepts and skills.