Framework guidance

The renewed science Framework is a resource designed to increase pupils' access to excellent teaching and purposeful learning. It will help teachers meet the aims of the new secondary curriculum (2007) to create a flexible curriculum that is both personalised and makes use of local contexts. This will enable pupils to make good progress through Key Stages 3 and 4 and will support transition to post-16 sciences.

It will help teachers to:

• design a personalised science curriculum that fires pupils' curiosity about phenomena in the world around them, offering opportunities for them to form explanations and encouraging them to develop their critical and creative thought
• build in opportunities for pupils to link ideas and evidence, together with developing argumentation, decision-making and problem-solving skills
• foster pupils' knowledge and understanding of science as a worldwide activity, its use and application, and how it affects their lives, together with their recognition of its cultural, economic, political and social significance.

Teachers can work with the Framework over time to review, renew and revise their existing schemes of work and to develop teaching plans in line with the new science Programme of study for Key Stage 3 (2007) and the Programme of study for Key Stage 4 (2004).