Developing a Primary Science Curriculum: Recommendations based on the Primary Curriculum Advisory Group’s Framework
Summary of contents
This document includes an extract from the PCAG report on pages 5–19. On the preceeding pages, as the professional bodies we have included an introduction with our recommendations (based on the report), highlighted some aspects that we would like to emphasise; and developed a guidance for primary teachers section. We have used this structure as an efficient way of sharing both the original report (with its framework) and our response to the report in a single document. Our recommendations align with those published by the Education Endowment Fund, through separate, independent, and simultaneous development, highlighting the need for the implementation of the recommendations when curriculum reform occurs.
The main purpose of this document is to present coherent guidance and a set of recommendations to policymakers and curriculum developers for designing a primary science curriculum. It has been created to ensure that we, as professional bodies and as a community of science educators, are ready for the next round of curriculum reviews. The PCAG report may also be of interest to primary science subject leaders, senior leadership teams in primary schools, and those providing professional development in science for primary teachers. However, it is worth emphasising that this document is simply outlining a framework for future curriculum design. It is not a statutory document, or something that schools are required to work directly from; it was created so that the primary science sector is ready for the next curriculum review. The guidance we are publishing is therefore to show what is possible.