Science Curriculum
Built by subject experts to give every child a genuine thrill of scientific discovery.
Science should make children want to find out how the world works
When science is taught well, children don’t just learn facts. They investigate, experiment and discover things for themselves. They develop a genuine desire to ask questions, test ideas and find out whether they were right. That kind of thinking goes far beyond the classroom and stays with children for life. But without a specialist in every classroom, delivering that experience consistently is genuinely hard. Practical investigations get squeezed, teacher confidence varies and the curriculum can become more about coverage than discovery. That’s why we built a carefully sequenced science curriculum that gives every teacher everything they need to make science genuinely exciting, no matter their level of confidence or subject expertise, with full coverage of the science national curriculum.
What does great science teaching look like?
Children arrive at science lessons curious and engaged, ready to investigate, experiment and find things out for themselves. Your teachers plan and deliver lessons with confidence, supported by clear guidance, tried and tested investigations and all the resources they need already in place. And your science lead has a clear view of progression and coverage across the whole school, from Nursery to Year 6, and can lead the subject with real credibility. This is the reality for schools using the Cornerstones science curriculum.
Here’s what sets our science curriculum apart
Four reasons why schools choose the Cornerstones science curriculum to strengthen their subject provision.
Curriculum quality and sequencing
Every science project is built on a robust progression framework spanning Nursery to Year 6. Substantive and disciplinary knowledge are taught simultaneously, so children don't just learn scientific facts — they develop the skills and understanding to think like scientists. Concepts, skills, knowledge and content are taught at the right time, in the right way and revisited at the appropriate time.
Practical investigation built in
Practical work is essential to great science teaching, but it can feel daunting to plan and deliver without specialist support. Our science curriculum covers all six types of scientific enquiry set out in the national curriculum science programmes of study, with clear instructions, presentations and demo videos that give teachers everything they need to run investigations with confidence.
Assessment
Our integrated assessment tools let teachers check and record progress naturally within lessons. Build an accurate picture of children's scientific knowledge and understanding across the whole curriculum, without adding to teacher workload.
Teacher confidence
You don't need to be a science specialist to teach this curriculum brilliantly. Every project comes with clear lesson plans, step-by-step investigation guides, demo videos and all the resources teachers need to deliver science with confidence, whatever their level of subject expertise.
See how Cornerstones could strengthen your science curriculum
Whether you’re starting from scratch or looking to strengthen what you already have, a curriculum conversation is the best place to start.
One of the reasons we initially went with Cornerstones was because we wanted to build a complete picture of attainment for science and the foundation subjects across the wider curriculum. We feel we've got that now, so that's brilliant.
Carrie Kiselis
Inside the Cornerstones science curriculum
Here's what you get with the Cornerstones Science curriculum
Planning and teaching
- Sequenced science projects from Nursery to Year 6
- Detailed lesson plans with clear skills and knowledge
Resources
- Quality resources supporting teaching and learning
- Knowledge organisers and vocabulary support
Assessment
- Concept-led skills and knowledge progression framework
- Fully integrated formative and summative assessment
Subject leadership
- Leadership tools and free online support
- Clear links to present and future programmes of study
Our digital platform gives your science lead the tools to lead with confidence
Maestro is our digital curriculum platform that brings your science curriculum to life as a managed, trackable system. Your science lead can see exactly what is being taught in every year group, monitor progression across the school, identify gaps and adapt projects to suit your context.
Every lesson is live and connected, so teachers always work from the same coherent curriculum. And because all resources sit in one place, including investigation guides, demo videos and knowledge organisers, there’s no more searching before lessons. Everything is exactly where teachers expect it to be.
Find out more about Maestro
What schools say
I liked the Blood Heart project; all the pictures helped me to understand.
Read their story
Pupil
From a senior leader's point of view, suddenly I might have to pull a teacher and say 'you're suddenly going to start teaching year 4 science'. Using Maestro, they can pick it up and go with it because the structure is there.
Read their story
Sarah Davies
Give your children a science curriculum to be proud of
Whether you're building your science curriculum from scratch or looking to strengthen what you already have, a curriculum conversation is the best place to start.