National Curriculum Objectives - Electricity - Year 6

In the Year 6 science curriculum, pupils delve into the intriguing world of electricity with a focus on understanding how electric circuits function and the factors that influence their operation. The national curriculum specifies that pupils should learn to associate the brightness of a lamp or the volume of a buzzer with the number and voltage of the cells that make up the circuit. This relationship is fundamental to grasping how variations in electrical input can alter the performance of circuit components.

Additionally, students are encouraged to compare and reason out why certain components in a circuit may function differently. This could include observing changes in the brightness of bulbs or the loudness of buzzers, as well as understanding the role of switches in the circuit. Another key aspect of the curriculum is the ability to accurately represent a simple circuit using recognised symbols in a diagram. This skill helps in visualising and communicating how circuits are constructed and how they operate. Through these objectives, pupils gain substantive knowledge about the behaviour of electrical components in a circuit and the impact of varying the cells' number and voltage on a lamp's brightness or a buzzer's volume.