The focus in Early Years is on beginning to develop an understanding of what science is, on developing the skills of looking closely, and on the language needed to describe what we see.

By the end of their reception year, teaching in science will enable children at the expected level of development to meet the following Early Learning Goals:

• Explore the natural world around them, making observations and drawing pictures of animals and plants;
• Know some similarities and differences between the natural world around them and contrasting environments, drawing on their experiences and what has been read in class;
• Understand some important processes and changes in the natural world around them, including the seasons and changing states of matter.
   

On arrival at school, children focus on the topic ‘Only One You’ which allows them to explore the similarities and differences between themselves and between them and members of their families. They develop a timeline of their life to explore how they have changed, which creates scope for questions and observations about human development. Children also have regular opportunities to undertake ‘welly walks’ and explore ‘Forest school’ to support their developing understanding of plants, animals and habitats. A core part of this experience is to develop investigative skills – including opportunities for close observation and acquisition of scientific language. Children are encouraged to notice change (e.g. in relation to the seasons, and to animals and habitats) and to use appropriate scientific language to describe what they observe.
 

In the Spring term, children are introduced to the concept of living things, their properties and needs, for example, when exploring how they are different from a teddy bear and identifying what they need to be healthy. They also revisit the concept of personal development and growth, looking at babies and how they change. In this term, children also study growth in the context of plants, investigating how they grow, and what they need to develop from a seed to a fully grown plant. In this unit, children again begin to acquire more precise scientific vocabulary with which to describe what they see and to identify parts of animals and plants.
 

During the Summer term, children have an opportunity to study sea life and continue to develop their awareness of the diversity of living things and their properties. They begin to classify living things more precisely, noticing differences in physical properties, behaviour, habitats and diet. They also begin to consider the environment and ecological responsibility in relation to habitats and living things. In the summer term, the children continue to develop their understanding of forces, exploring floating and sinking in the context of Julia Donaldson’s book, The Snail and the Whale.