There is much that is healthy in school science in the UK but recent years have seen a worrying decline in the numbers choosing to study physical sciences after the age of 16. In an attempt to ensure that this doesn't also happen to the biological sciences, the Biosciences Federation set up a working group to explore how more young people might be enthused by, and benefit from, their biology education. The resulting report (Biosciences Federation, 2005) examines bioscience education as a whole from primary school to university, and is intended to demonstrate how improving the curriculum and its delivery can help address these important issues. It recommends that action needs to be taken in the next five years with regard to skills and knowledge, and how these are taught and assessed. This article summarises the recommendations for 3-11 year-olds. (Contains 1 online resource.)