'Tim Oates said schools ought to choose whether or not to teach the subject as he called for the curriculum to “get back to the science in science”.

Mr Oates, whose review will be published later this year, told a newspaper the syllabus should be stripped back to focus on core areas of scientific knowledge such as gravity and oxidation.

He said teachers should instead be able to make individual choices about what topics are relevant for them to cover.'

Read more: Climate Change Should be Removed From the National Curriculum