Resources by Department for Education

Science

This Teachers TV video illustrates a range of techniques to help students think about careers in STEM professions. Using a context of in-vitro fertilisation (IVF), the school nurse talks to a Year Eight class about her work before students consider the various professionals involved in IVF. The students perform a...

This item is one of over 25,000 physical resources available from the Resources Collection. The Archive Collection covers over 50 years of curriculum development in the STEM subjects. The Contemporary Collection includes all the latest...

Science for Ages Five to Sixteen 1991

Following the establishment of the 1989 National Curriculum (NC) for science, the Secretary of State for Education and Science made proposals regarding the revision of Attainment Targets (AT) for science. The key ideas included proposal of:
*Five attainment targets
- AT1 - Scientific investigation...

Science in Primary Schools

This publication takes the form of a discussion paper published by the Department for Education and Science. It presents the views of the Science Committee of Her Majesty’s Inspectorate. These views are organised into the following areas: science and the curriculum; continuity and progress; development of...

Science in the National Curriculum (Extract) 2007

Following a major overhaul of the entire National Curriculum at Key Stage Three, the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority produced a version for science with a structure consistent with other subjects. There were no changes to the other Key Stages, so the Attainment Targets (AT) and Programme of Study (PoS) for...

Science in the National Curriculum 1989

This was the first National Curriculum for Science in England and Wales. One intention of the National Curriculum was that all students aged 5 to 16 learn science – that there should be ‘Science for All’ – and that this should include both the ‘methods of science’ and the acquisition of ‘knowledge and understanding...

Science in the National Curriculum 1991

This revision of the National Curriculum was an attempt to simplify the 1989 version, and to make assessment more manageable.

*The 17 Attainment Targets (AT) were reduced to four – with these divided into ‘strands’.

*Fewer Statements of Attainment: the number was approximately halved by broadening...

Science in the National Curriculum 1995

This revision of the National Curriculum builds on the 1991 version and follows Sir Ron Dearing’s 1993 review of the whole National Curriculum.

*It retains the four Attainment Targets (AT), each with an associated Programme of Study (PoS), although AT1 becomes ‘Experimental and investigative science’, and...

Science in the National Curriculum 1999

The National Curriculum for science, published in 1999. Compared with the 1995 version of the National Curriculum, the main changes are:
*There is a statement about the ‘Importance of Science’.
*The ‘Experimental and investigative science’ sections are renamed ‘Scientific enquiry’, with an emphasis on a...

Science in the National Curriculum 2004

This version of the National Curriculum was written to include only changes to the Key Stage Four Programme of Study (PoS) which would be first assessed in 2006. The Attainment Targets (AT) and PoS for Key Stages One, Two and Three did not change at this time. At Key Stage Four, the following overall changes were...