St Jude's C of E Federation follows the Cornerstones curriculum for Science

Intent:
At St Jude’s, our children are scientists! Our intent is to give all children a broad and balanced science curriculum, which enables them to build a strong understanding of the world around them whilst acquiring specific skills and knowledge to help them think scientifically. Throughout the children’s science education journey, we aim for every child to become a more independent scientist, regularly questioning the world around them, exploring their own and others’ ideas with an ever-expanding bank of scientific vocabulary. We want our children to develop a love for science and remember their science lessons in our school.

Implementation:
Science topics are taught in accordance with the National Curriculum 2014 and Early Years Framework 2021. To support the delivery of the Science curriculum, we use Cornerstones, a resource to facilitate the teaching and learning of science through rich and meaningful projects. Within KS1, in 2025-26, although taught in chronological age groups, curriculum content is based on the second year of a two-year cycle. Lesson content is adapted, following our skills progression to allow children to learn at the age and stage best suited for them. Key Stage 2 is taught in a cycle A and B mixed age curriculum. 

The curriculum is planned and sequenced so that children have the substantive knowledge and vocabulary to understand subsequent projects. In addition, children are taught disciplinary knowledge, enabling them to understand and explore the knowledge they acquire, as well as use it to work scientifically, questioning new concepts by carrying out investigations. Children are given the opportunity to predict, plan, make observations, conclude and present their findings using science specific language, observations and diagrams. In each year group, children are encouraged to call upon their previous knowledge, allowing them to build and expand on it. Children begin making links with what they already know plus their new knowledge, thus cementing new concepts into their long term memory.

In Key Stage 1, the children learn about materials and their uses; human senses, parts of the body and what humans need to survive; plant and animal parts and what they need to grow and stay healthy; habitats; and seasonal changes.

 In Lower Key Stage 2, the children study body systems, such as the skeletal system, the muscular system and digestive system; healthy diets and nutrition; plant nutrition and reproduction; classification; states of matter; light and shadows; sound; forces and magnets; and electrical circuits and conductors. Some science content is closely linked to geographical concepts and is covered in the geography projects: learning about rocks and soils is delivered through Rocks, Relics and Rumbles, and the water cycle is studied in Misty Mountain, Winding River.

 In Upper Key Stage 2, the children study Earth and space; human and animal life cycles; and evolution and inheritance. They broaden their knowledge of body systems, including the circulatory system; materials, including thermal conductivity, solubility, reversible and irreversible changes; light, including how light travels; forces, including gravity, air resistance and water resistance; and electrical circuits, including components and voltage. They broaden their knowledge of classification and plant and animal life cycles in the geography projects Frozen Kingdoms and Sow, Grow and Farm

Impact:
Following the progression of lessons throughout the projects, children take part in the ‘Express Stage’, where they have an opportunity to demonstrate their understanding as part of a quiz. Teachers use ongoing formative assessment along with recording termly summative data to assess children's progress. Areas needing further consolidation filter back into our planned retrieval cycle.