Primary science curriculum recommendations outlined by professional bodies

Eating ice lollies, making noise and planting vegetables are essential primary science lessons, say the Institute of Physics (IOP), the Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC), the Royal Society of Biology (RSB), and the Association for Science Education (ASE) in their recommendations for a new primary science curriculum.

As the new government begins a reform of curricula and assessment, the timely recommendations suggest other experiences such as playing with shadows, digging in soil, and kneading bread dough for school science time. The bodies say that offering such essential experiences in class time will reduce inequalities in STEM education and support the teaching of scientific concepts every child should understand.

The calls for reform are based on the work of a group of primary science teaching experts, convened by the science associations in 2019, who drew up a modern curriculum framework using evidence from a wide variety of sources. Further consultation workshops subsequently showed that teachers were supportive of the findings.

The learned societies want the findings to inform the new UK government’s recently announced review of curricula and assessments across England.

Charles Tracy OBE, senior advisor in learning and skills at the IOP, said: “Many children enjoy making noise – but harnessing this in the classroom can help teach the basics of concepts such as pitch and volume. We want to help the review team to make the primary science curriculum as inclusive as possible and we are recommending that teachers should be supported to bring global, historical, and societal context into their science lessons, and that they should build science capital equitably by giving all students access to genuine scientific experiences that are currently the preserve of a lucky few.”

The curriculum framework is designed to prepare children to understand their world and meet individual and societal needs, both individually and globally. The four scientific associations say the primary science curriculum should:

1. Have a strong emphasis on purpose, considering not just what is taught and learned, but why and how, so that children develop a coherent and cognitively appropriate understanding of how the world works and their own agency within it.
2. Help children identify with the sciences by providing opportunities for teachers to choose contexts that are relevant to their pupils.
3. Help all children to feel included in the sciences through the experiences that they have, and the perspectives put on science narratives and by encouraging teachers to use contexts that are familiar to primary-age children.
4. Ensure the curriculum plans for progression to avoid content being taught before it is appropriate for the age/development stage of the child.
5. Encourage children to think scientifically, to discuss and explain their thinking and, through practical experience, gain a sense of the nature and practices of the sciences.

Aylin Ozkan, a practising teacher, and education policy specialist at the RSC, commented: “One of the recommendations for chemistry is that by the age of 11, all children should start to understand how temperature works and how heating and cooling can change things. 

“What better prop is there for a teacher to help explain this than an ice lolly? Essential experiences like this promote learning on a personal level, so we believe they should be part of the curriculum. It’s a cheap solution and will allow children the opportunity to develop their scientific confidence whatever their background – this is exactly what curriculum reform should be aiming to do.”

Lauren McLeod, head of education policy at the RSB, explained: “By celebrating green spaces, growing vegetables in the classroom, and visiting the local garden centre, children can experience the life cycles of living things and be involved in making healthy and sustainable choices. Not all children have access to a garden or school fields, and we want children to experience the world around them while empowering teachers to bring science into everyday activities. 

“This report and our recommendations set out a way forward for science education in primary school, and we are ready to put that into action.”

Marianne Cutler, director for policy and curriculum development at ASE, said: “We recommend the report’s knowledge maps for biology, chemistry, and physics with their conceptual boundaries – focusing on what is age and development stage appropriate; and essential experiences – in the classroom, school grounds and/or beyond into their own locality for all children, regardless of their circumstances, by the age of 11 years. 

“It’s crucial that we support primary science leaders, curriculum leaders and senior school leaders in providing an equitable and meaningful experience of science and this report will inform ASE’s policy, curriculum, and professional development work. We anticipate that the government curriculum and assessment review team will find it useful too.”