Primary Science Subject Review Pack

Find out how well Science is really working in your primary school, gather the evidence to back it up and turn what you find into a clear plan of action.

This pack guides Science subject leaders and senior leaders through a structured subject review, from choosing a focus to reporting back to SLT and governors. It looks at Science in six areas: curriculum design and coverage, teaching and staff expertise, checking learning, access and provision, outcomes and pupil experience, and leadership and reporting. Each prompt asks you to note what’s in place, where the evidence is and how secure it is, so you finish with an honest RAG picture of the subject.

The Science prompts go beyond coverage. They explore whether pupils build a connected picture of biology, chemistry and physics and whether working scientifically is taught through the content rather than as a separate strand. They ask whether every practical activity has a clear purpose and whether pupils remember what it was meant to show, not just that they did it. They also look at how teachers use models and analogies, tackle common misconceptions and help pupils apply their maths. 

You don’t need to start from scratch or set aside weeks. The pack works alongside the curriculum maps, action plans and monitoring notes you already have. If time is tight, the ‘Starting point suggestion’ prompts give you a balanced first look that may fit into around half a day of release time, and you can go further later. If you’re new to monitoring, the guide explains how to run lesson visits, work scrutiny and pupil conversations as you go.

What’s included

• A 12-page PDF guide that explains what a subject review is and takes you through one in five steps. It sits alongside five editable Word templates:
• Science Subject Review Framework, the main document, with prompts across all six areas, evidence and RAG columns, and suggested starting points
• Science Subject Provision Map, to show how pupils with SEND, disadvantaged pupils and others facing barriers access Science lessons, practical work and enrichment, with an ideas bank for next steps
• Science Evidence Log, with a planning page, an evidence index and forms for lesson visits, pupil conversations and work scrutiny
• Science Staff Subject Knowledge and Confidence Survey, an anonymous 14-question survey with analysis guidance, a statement bank and quick check questions with guidance on what a secure answer looks like
• Science Subject Review Snapshot, a short summary of strengths, priorities and actions to share with SLT, governors or trust leaders

Ideal for Science subject leaders, curriculum leads, senior leaders and headteachers in primary schools in England.

Further support for subject leaders can be found on our Honeyguide-SLS website.