A summary of "Finding the optimum: the science subject report", Ofsted (2023)

Summary of the main findings relevant to primary science

Curriculum, timetabling and planning:

• Most pupils (including those with SEND) are studying a science curriculum at least as ambitious as the national curriculum;
• Some pupils had ‘gaps’ in their science knowledge – reasons for this are lost learning during lockdown or when timetabling results in science being missed for an entire half-term;
• Science subject and school leaders see the curriculum as a description of what pupils need to know and do rather than a tool to make learning easier and to link with learning in other subjects, e.g. maths;
• Intended science learning in reception classes was not clear enough and as such limited how well prepared they are for learning in year 1.

Teaching, learning and assessment:

• Teachers with strong subject knowledge were better able to support pupils to make connections between science concepts;
• Where science was strong in a school, pupils’ learning was connected and detailed and they could remember their previous learning.
• Teachers don’t have a strong awareness of evidence-based approaches for teaching science;
• Access for teachers to relevant CPD that is closely aligned to the curriculum needs to be planned and implemented
• Insufficient time is spent on practising and consolidating learning before moving on to new content;
• Assessment did not generally check whether pupils had remembered what they had learned in previous years.

Science subject leaders:

• Science subject and school leaders’ plans for well-sequenced development of pupils’ disciplinary knowledge (what they learn about how science knowledge is established and the practical procedures for this) were less developed than plans for developing pupils’ substantive knowledge (science concepts/established facts);
• The role of the subject leader is crucial to curriculum development and teacher support, but not all subject leaders have access to dedicated leadership time and training.

Summary of the main recommendations relevant to primary science:

Curriculum, timetabling and planning:

• Ensure the curriculum is specific about the knowledge that reception children should learn and that it connects with the intended learning in year 1;
• Ensure enough time is built in to the curriculum for pupils to learn and recall key knowledge and to connect this with other science concepts they have learned;
• Ensure the curriculum sequences disciplinary knowledge so pupils learn and practise skills across all areas of working scientifically;
• Ensure that the curriculum is planned to take account of learning in other subjects, e.g. maths.

Teaching, learning and assessment:

• Ensure that teachers support pupils to connect new learning with what they have already learned;
• Ensure pupils have a secure knowledge of what has been taught before moving on to new content, including checking for specific misconceptions;
• Ensure that the teaching approaches selected are appropriate for the intended learning.

Schools:

• Schools should create systematic approaches to developing the science expertise of all teachers;
• Schools should support subject leaders to prioritise curriculum time for teaching key scientific knowledge.