Children at Stretton will have the opportunity to learn and apply the skills of scientific enquiry progressively and in a variety of contexts, revisiting and developing skills throughout their programme of study. As they progress through Stretton, they will be able to exercise increasing autonomy in the formulation of scientific questions, the nature and extent of prior research they undertake to inform their investigations, the selection and use of scientific equipment, and the way in which they record, interpret and present their findings.

By the time children reach Year 6, they will have a confident understanding of how to conduct an effective scientific investigation, choosing and using appropriate scientific equipment safely and with precision. They will be curious about scientific problems and questions they encounter, motivated to ask why, and reflect on efficient modes of enquiry. They will also have had experience of conducting investigations that can be applied in real contexts to address challenges facing the modern world and of reporting their findings with attention to their audience.

When planning and conducting scientific investigations, children will acquire and develop the following broad skills (a detailed map for the progression of skills can be found by following the link in the progression documents):

• Use scientific knowledge and understanding to formulate questions and make informed predictions;
• Identify appropriate scientific equipment and use it safely and with accuracy;
• Understand how to construct an investigation based on careful identification of variables, and efficient and accurate application of objective scientific methods (e.g. ‘fair testing’);
• Observe carefully and record observations accurately (e.g. in tables and in written reports)
• Evaluate results and reflect critically on causation and accuracy (e.g. considering whether findings are valid, accurate and could be reproduced by others);
• Interpret findings and draw conclusions that are relevant to the original enquiry;
• Be able to present findings in a variety of ways and know when and how to select between different approaches to ensure the presentation is most effective for the scientific purpose/challenge and audience.

During the second half of the summer term, children will undertake a larger scale, more sustained, investigative project linked to the science they have studied during that year. This provides an opportunity for children to develop their thinking skills, exercise increasing choice and autonomy as scientists, as well as consolidate new knowledge and practise their skills of scientific enquiry.