Earlier this year, I wrote about the DfE’s interim curriculum and assessment report — the first real clue to where the National Curriculum review might be heading. I was optimistic then, because the emerging aims chimed so strongly with the principles behind the second edition of Snap Science: a curriculum that keeps pace with societal change, responds confidently to environmental and technological shifts, and genuinely supports excellent teaching and learning.
So I was delighted, though not surprised, to see that the final report published in November, Building a world class curriculum for all, places primary science firmly on that same trajectory. Its recommendations echo the approach we’ve taken in Snap Science: purposeful, coherent, and clearly progressive, with unambiguous guidance on what to teach, when to teach it, and how ideas connect both within science and across the wider curriculum.
One teacher in a Snap Science school in Gloucestershire summed it up beautifully when we chatted recently:
“Snap [Science] has a spiral curriculum. Year 6 light links back to Year 3 sound. It connects topics so children build knowledge and skills progressively.”
This clarity of progression, and focus on key knowledge, is one of the strengths the review calls for.
The report also recommends essential science experiences for all pupils — something that has been at the heart of Snap Science from the beginning. Every module brings abstract ideas to life through meaningful engagement with the local environment and everyday phenomena, and almost every lesson includes high quality purposeful practical work. As one pupil in Gloucestershire put it:
“If I know it’s science the next day, I’m really excited to come to school because we get to do loads of experiments and learn how they work. We learn the reasons behind what is happening.”
The review highlights too, the importance of children thinking scientifically and being able to critically assess information. Again, this is central to every Snap Science lesson: pupils discuss their ideas, explain their reasoning, weigh up evidence, and reflect on the conclusions they can draw from their investigations.
And of course, sustainability runs through Snap Science as a golden thread. Children consider environmental issues in realistic, age-appropriate ways and are encouraged to think carefully about the impact of their choices. The recommendations’ call to embed climate science explicitly — its causes, impacts, and solutions — is something we welcome wholeheartedly.
It is no surprise that the recommendations mirror so closely the thinking that shaped the second edition of Snap Science. The team of writers are all highly experienced in teaching primary science and supporting others to teach it well. We were very aware of the challenges of teaching the National Curriculum which were highlighted in the Ten Key Issues with Children’s Learning in Primary Science report and had been closely involved with Ofsted and the EEF in shaping guidance for primary science and the Scientific Learned Bodies in curriculum design.
The revised National Curriculum will be published in early 2027 and implemented from September 2028. When it arrives, the Snap Science team will be ready. We’ll make whatever adjustments are needed so that, as always, Snap Science provides full coverage of the new curriculum and continues to support the very best teaching and learning in primary science. We are looking forward to it!
Jane Turner, Series Editor for Snap Science