Years 3 and 4

During Year 3 and Year 4, children will be taught to use the following practical scientific methods, processes and skills via the investigations they undertake:

• ask relevant questions and use different types of scientific enquiries to answer them;
• set up simple practical enquiries, comparative and fair tests;
• make systematic and careful observations and, where appropriate, take accurate measurements using standard units, using a range of equipment, including thermometers and data logging technology (e.g. iPad apps);
• gather, record, classify and present data in a variety of ways to help answer questions;
• record findings using simple scientific language, drawings, labelled diagrams, keys, bar charts, and tables;
• report on findings from enquiries, including oral and written explanations, displays or presentations of results and conclusions;
• use results to draw simple conclusions, make predictions for new values, suggest improvements and raise further questions;
• identify differences, similarities or changes related to simple scientific ideas and processes;
• use straightforward scientific evidence to answer questions or to support their findings.

Years 5 and 6

During Year 5 and Year 6, children will be taught to use the following practical scientific methods, processes, and skills via the investigations they undertake:

• Plan different types of scientific enquiries to answer questions, including recognising and controlling variables where necessary
• Take measurements, using a range of scientific equipment, with increasing accuracy and precision, taking repeat readings when appropriate
• Record data and results of increasing complexity using scientific diagrams and labels, classification keys, tables, scatter graphs, bar and line graphs
• Use test results to make predictions to set up further comparative and fair tests
• Report and present findings from enquiries, including conclusions, causal relationships and explanations of and degree of trust in results, in oral and written forms such as displays and other presentations.
• Identify scientific evidence that has been used to support or refute ideas or arguments.