AT1 - Sc1
Experimental and Investigative Science

Level 3
# responds to suggestions, puts forward ~ own ideas and, where appropriate, makes simple predictions.

^ makes relevant observations and measures quantities, such as length or mass, using a range of simple equipment.

With some help, # can carry out a fair test, recognising and explaining why it is fair.

^ records observations in a variety of ways.

^ provides explanations for observations and, where they occur, for simple patterns in recorded measurements.

^ says what has been found out from ~ work.

Level 4
# recognises the need for fair tests by describing, or showing in the way ^ performs a task, how to vary one factor whilst keeping others the same.

Where appropriate, # makes predictions.

^ selects suitable equipment to use and makes a series of observations and measurements that are adequate for the task.

^ presents observations and measurements clearly, using tables and bar charts.

^ is beginning to plot points to form simple graphs and use these graphs to point out and interpret patterns or trends in data.

^ takes account of patterns when drawing conclusions, and  is beginning to relate conclusions to scientific knowledge and understanding.

Level 5
# identifies the key factors that need to be considered in contexts that involve only a few factors.

Where appropriate, # makes predictions based on scientific knowledge and understanding.

^ selects apparatus for a range of tasks and uses it with care.

^ makes a series of observations or measurements with precision appropriate to the task.

^ is beginning to repeat observations and measurements and to offer simple explanations for any differences encountered.

^ records observations and measurements systematically and presents data as line graphs.

^ draws conclusions that are consistent with the evidence and is beginning to relate these to scientific knowledge and understanding.

Level 6
# uses scientific knowledge and understanding to identify the key factors that need to be considered and, where appropriate, makes predictions.

^ makes observations and measures with precision a variety of quantities, using instruments with fine divisions.

^ makes enough measurements and observations for the task.

^ chooses scales for graphs that enable them to show appropriate data effectively.

^ identifies measurements and observations that do not fit the main pattern or trend shown.

# draws conclusions that are consistent with the evidence and explains these using scientific knowledge and understanding.

Level 7
# uses scientific knowledge and understanding to identify the key factors in situations involving a range of factors and, where appropriate, makes predictions.

^ makes systematic observations and measurements with precision using a wide range of apparatus.

^ identifies when it is necessary to repeat measurements and observations in order to obtain reliable data.

^ presents qualitative observations clearly and concisely.

^ presents data in graphs, where appropriate, and use lines of best fit.

^ draws conclusions that are consistent with the evidence and explains these using scientific knowledge and understanding.

^ is beginning to consider whether the data collected is sufficient for the conclusions drawn.

Level 8
# recognises that tasks of different kinds require different strategies, and uses scientific knowledge and understanding to select an appropriate strategy, identifying the key factors to be considered.

Where appropriate, # makes predictions based on scientific knowledge and understanding.

^ manipulates apparatus with precision and skill.

^ decides which observations are relevant in qualitative work and includes suitable detail in their records of these.

^ decides the level of precision needed in measurements and collects data enabling them to test relationships between variables.

^ can identify and is beginning to explain anomalous observations and measurements, allowing for these when drawing graphs.

^ uses scientific knowledge and understanding to draw conclusions from evidence.

^ considers graphs and tables of results critically and identifies shortcomings in the data obtained.
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AT2
Life Processes and Living Things

Level 3
# uses knowledge of basic life processes, such as growth or reproduction, when  describing differences between living and non-living things.

^ provides simple explanations for changes in living things, such as diet affecting the health of humans or other animals, or lack of light or water altering plant growth.

^ identifies ways in which an animal is suited to its environment, such as a fish having fins to help it swim.

Level 4
# demonstrates knowledge and understanding of aspects of life processes and living things drawn from the Key Stage 2 or Key Stage 3 programme of study.

^ uses scientific names for some major organs of body systems, such as the circulatory system, and identifies the position of these organs in the human body.

^ can identify organs, such as petal, stamen or stigma, of different plants they observe.

^ can use keys based on observable external features to help identify and group living things systematically.

^ recognises that feeding relationships exist between plants and animals in a habitat, and describes these relationships, using food chains and terms such as predator and prey.

Level 5
# demonstrates an increasing knowledge and understanding of aspects of life processes and living things drawn from the Key Stage 2 or Key Stage 3 programme of study.

^ can describe the main functions of some organs of the human body, such as the heart, and of the flowering plant, such as the petal, stamen or stigma and can explain how these functions are essential to the organism. 

^ can describe the main stages of the life cycles of humans and flowering plants and point out similarities.

^ recognises that there is a great variety of living things and understands the importance of classification.

^ can explain that different organisms are found in different habitats because of differences in environmental factors, such as the availability of light or water.

Level 6
# uses knowledge and understanding drawn from the Key Stage 3 programme of study, to describe and explain life processes and features of living things.

^ uses appropriate scientific terminology when describing life processes, such as respiration or photosynthesis, in animals and plants.

^ can distinguish between related processes, such as pollination or fertilisation.

^ can describe simple cell structure and identifies differences between cells, such as differences in structure between simple animal and plant cells.

^ can describe some of the factors that cause variation between living things.

# can explain that the distribution and abundance of organisms in habitats are affected by environmental factors, such as the availability of light or water.

Level 7
# uses knowledge and understanding of life processes and living things drawn from the Key Stage 3 programme of study, to make links between life processes in animals and plants and the organ systems involved.

^ can explain the processes of respiration and photosynthesis in terms of the main underlying chemical change.

^ can use  knowledge of cell structure to explain how cells, such as the ovum, sperm or root hair, are adapted to their functions.

^ can identify characteristic variations between individuals, including some features, such as eye colour, that are inherited and others, such as height, that can also be affected by environmental factors.

^ can construct models, such as food webs or pyramids of numbers, to represent feeding relationships, and explain how these relationships affect population size.

Level 8
# demonstrates an extensive knowledge and understanding of life processes and living things drawn from the Key Stage 3 programme of study, in describing how biological systems function.

^ can  relate knowledge of the cellular structure of organs to the associated life processes, such as the absorption of food in the digestive system or gas exchange in the lungs.

^ can  recognise, predict and explain changes in the biological systems, such as the effect of increased carbon dioxide concentration on the growth of greenhouse crops, or the consequences of smoking for organ systems.

^ can explain how characteristics can be inherited by individuals and apply this knowledge to contexts such as selective breeding.

^ can predict the short-term and long-term effects of environmental change on ecosystems and use understanding of such systems to justify these predictions.
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AT3
Materials and their Properties

Level 3
# uses  knowledge and understanding of materials when  describing a variety of ways of sorting them into groups according to their properties. 

^ can explain why some materials are particularly suitable for specific purposes, such as a metal for making electrical cables. 

^ recognises that some changes, such as the freezing of water, can be reversed and some, such as the baking of clay, cannot, and can classify changes in this way. 

Level 4
# demonstrates knowledge and understanding of aspects of materials and their properties drawn from the Key Stage 2 or Key Stage 3 programme of study.

^ can describe differences between the properties of different materials and explain how these differences are used to classify substances as solids, liquids and gases. 

^ can describe some methods, such as filtration, that are used to separate simple mixtures.

^ can use scientific terms, such as evaporation or condensation, to describe changes. 

^ uses knowledge about some reversible and irreversible changes to make simple predictions about whether other changes are reversible or not. 

Level 5
# demonstrates an increasing knowledge and understanding of aspects of materials and their properties drawn from the Key Stage 2 or Key Stage 3 programme of study. 

^ can describe some metallic properties, such as good electrical conductivity, and use these properties to distinguish metals from other solids. 

^ can identify a range of contexts in which changes, such as evaporation or condensation, take place. 

^ uses knowledge about how a specific mixture, such as salt and water, or sand and water, can be separated to suggest ways in which other similar mixtures might be separated.

Level 6
# uses knowledge and understanding of the nature and behaviour of materials drawn from the Key Stage 3 programme of study, to describe chemical and physical changes and how new materials can be made.

^ recognises that matter is made up of particles, and can describe differences between the arrangement and movement of particles in solids, liquids and gases. 

^ can identify and describe similarities between some chemical reactions, such as the reactions of acids with metals or the reactions of a variety of substances with oxygen. 

^ uses word equations to summarise simple reactions. 

^ relates changes of state to energy transfers, in contexts such as the formation of igneous rocks. 

Level 7
# uses knowledge and understanding drawn from the Key Stage 3 programme of study, to make links between the nature and behaviour of materials and the particles of which they are composed.

^ uses the particle model of matter in explanations of phenomena such as changes of state. 

^ can explain differences between elements, compounds and mixtures in terms of their constituent particles.

^ recognises that elements and compounds can be represented by symbols and formulae.

^ can apply knowledge of physical and chemical processes to explain the behaviour of materials in a variety of contexts, such as the way in which natural limestone is changed through the action of rainwater, or ways in which rocks are weathered. 

^ can use patterns of reactivity, such as those associated with a reactivity series of metals, to make predictions about other chemical reactions. 

Level 8
# demonstrates an extensive knowledge and understanding of the Key Stage 3 programme of study in describing and explaining changes to materials. 

^ uses the particle model in a wide range of contexts.

^ can describe what happens in a range of chemical reactions and classify some, such as oxidation or neutralisation. 

^ can represent common compounds by chemical formulae and use these formulae to form balanced symbol equations for reactions, such as those of acids with metals, carbonates or oxides.

^ can apply knowledge of patterns in chemical reactions to suggest how substances, such as salts, could be made.
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AT4
Physical Processes

Level 3
# uses knowledge and understanding to link cause and effect in simple explanations of physical phenomena, such as a bulb failing to light because of a break in an electrical circuit, or the direction or speed of movement of an object changing because of a force applied to it.

^ is beginning to make simple generalisations about physical phenomena, such as explaining that sounds become fainter the further they are from the source. 

Level 4
# demonstrates knowledge and understanding of aspects of physical processes drawn from the Key Stage 2 or Key Stage 3 programme of study.

^ can describe and explain physical phenomena, such as how a particular device in an electrical circuit may be switched on or off, or how the apparent position of the Sun changes over the course of a day. 

^ makes generalisations about physical phenomena, such as motion being affected by forces, including gravitational attraction, magnetic attraction and friction, or sounds being heard through a variety of materials. 

^ can use the idea that light travels to explain phenomena such as the formation of shadows. 

Level 5
# demonstrates an increasing knowledge and understanding of aspects of physical processes drawn from the Key Stage 2 or Key Stage 3 programme of study.

^ is beginning to apply ideas about physical processes to suggest a variety of ways to make changes, such as altering the current in a circuit or altering the pitch or loudness of a sound.

^ is beginning to use some abstract ideas in descriptions, such as forces being balanced when an object is stationary, or objects being seen when light from them enters the eye. 

^ can use models to explain effects that are caused by the movement of the Earth, such as the length of a day or year. 


Level 6
# demonstrates understanding of how to apply some abstract ideas about physical processes drawn from the Key Stage 3 programme of study. 

^ can use abstract ideas in descriptions and explanations, such as electric current being a flow of charge, the sum of several forces determining changes in the direction or the speed of movement of an object, or wind and waves being energy resources available for use. 

^ recognises that many physical concepts, such as the transfer of energy by light, sound or electricity, or the refraction and dispersion of light, apply in a variety of contexts, and can describe some of these. 

^ recognises that a number of factors may have to be considered when phenomena, such as the relative brightness of planets and stars, are explained. 

Level 7
# uses knowledge and understanding of physical processes drawn from the Key Stage 3 programme of study, to make links between different phenomena. 

^ makes connections between electricity and magnetism to explain phenomena such as the strength of electromagnets. 

^ uses some quantitative definitions, such as those for speed or pressure, and perform calculations involving physical quantities, using the correct units. 

^ can apply abstract ideas in explanations of a range of physical phenomena, such as the appearance of objects in different colours of light, the relationship between the frequency of vibration and the pitch of a sound, the role of gravitational attraction in determining the motion of bodies in the solar system, or the dissipation of energy during energy transfers. 

Level 8
# demonstrates an extensive knowledge and understanding of the physical processes in the Key Stage 3 programme of study. 

# can use models to describe and explain phenomena, such as the flow of charge in parallel circuits or the passage of sound waves through a medium.

# can use quantitative relationships between physical quantities in calculations that may involve more than one step. 

# can offer detailed and sometimes quantitative interpretations of graphs, such as speed-time graphs.

# considers ways of obtaining data, such as data relating to the solar system, and uses knowledge of physical processes to explain the patterns found.

# considers physical phenomena from different perspectives, such as relating the dissipation of energy during energy transfer to the need to conserve limited energy resources.
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Comment 5

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