This full draft syllabus presents a comprehensive framework for teaching Key Stage 3 Science (ages 11–14) in England. It was developed and commissioned by AQA in partnership with the ENGAGE project, coordinated by Sheffield Hallam University, with conceptual support from The Open University UK through the CARE-KNOW-DO pedagogical model. The document adopts a “big ideas” approach that connects science learning to students’ lives (CARE), addressing the challenge of fragmented content delivery by reorganising the 140 National Curriculum concepts into ten overarching themes: Forces, Electromagnets, Energy, Waves, Matter, Reactions, Earth, Organisms, Ecosystems, and Genes. The syllabus follows a spiral curriculum design, in which each big idea comprises four progressively complex subtopics, typically taught over two years. Learning objectives are structured through a three-tier mastery framework: Know (foundational knowledge, including facts, keywords, and principles), Apply (using knowledge in unfamiliar contexts), and Extend (higher-order thinking through comparison, evaluation, and prediction). Working scientifically is embedded throughout the curriculum and organised into four domains—Analyse, Communicate, Enquire, and Solve—comprising 16 clearly sequenced processes. Practical enquiry activities are integrated within each topic to support both conceptual understanding and the development of investigative skills. Overall, the framework prepares students for GCSE-level science by building mastery of core concepts and essential practical competencies. It offers educators a structured alternative to level-based assessment, with detailed progression indicators that enable targeted teaching interventions and precise monitoring of student learning across the three-year Key Stage 3 programme. AQA holds the copyright, and the syllabus is available via the AQA website.
Education et al. (Wed,) studied this question.