The Science department offers a curriculum that builds on science learning from KS2 and continues to develop key concepts throughout KS3 and 4 as well develop practical and thinking skills.
Vision Statement
It is our desire to help fuel the next generation with a passion for science, to build their Science capital, so they feel that science ‘is for me’. To allow everyone the opportunity to develop a scientific mind as well as being able to develop their practical skills for scientific investigation.
To develop motivated, independent, resilient learners. Science will develop problem solvers, with a solid understanding of key scientific concepts and the ability to apply their knowledge to unfamiliar situations.
Intent – To teach key scientific concepts in a logical sequence based on prior learning, to build in depth understanding of these concepts and to develop practical skills and higher order thinking skills. To ensure students can apply their knowledge. The Science curriculum will also actively support literacy and numeracy.
Implementation – Science is taught by subject specialists who are passionate about science. Lessons are engaging and challenging with support provided where necessary. There is a wide mix of teaching strategies and a focus on practical work wherever possible. Assessment is regular and timely, allowing teachers to follow the progress of all students.
Impact – Students will have gained a broad knowledge of key concepts in Science. They will be aware that scientific ideas are constantly changing and they will be interested in scientific innovation. They will have gained the knowledge, thinking skills and practical skills to be successful academically and to see themselves studying science in further education or pursuing a scientific career.
Key Stage 3
During KS3 we aim to stimulate pupils’ interest in the natural world. To build upon every child’s natural curiosity and develop their ability to question how and why natural phenomena exist. We seek to help pupils understand that science is a subject which is always evolving as new ideas and theories are developed and tested and that facts cannot simply be learned from a book.
Our aim is that every pupil understands the relationship between humans and natural phenomena including in the fields of medicine, technology and environment.
We aim to equip every pupil with the skills and scientific dispositions they will require in their everyday lives and future scientific study.
We hope that they will develop an enthusiasm for, and wider interest in, the sciences beyond the taught curriculum.
Knowledge
- Content is under 10 big idea headings: Forces, Electromagnetism, Energy, Waves, Matter, Reactions, Earth, Organisms, Ecosystems and Genes. Each idea contains four smaller topics: the building blocks for the big ideas.
Thinking Skills
Pupils learn to:
- Analyse: consisting of presenting data, analysing patterns, drawing conclusions and discussing limitations.
- Communicate: consisting of constructing explanations, communicating ideas, using models, critiquing claims and justifying opinions.
- Enquire: consisting of devising questions, testing hypotheses, planning to control variables and collecting data.
- Solve: consisting of estimating risks, examining consequences, interrogating sources and understanding how scientific ideas change over time.
Practical Skills
- Pupils will understand that scientific advances have been possible through the scientific method and they will test hypotheses and carry out experiments.
- How to use specialist equipment to visualise natural phenomena.
Progress of all pupils in science is constantly monitored. Pupils will be given clear verbal feedback during their lessons on their progress in specific tasks and subsequently be given an opportunity to improve and correct any errors. Pupils will be advised on their strengths and weaknesses and given advice on appropriate opportunities for further participation and improvement. In addition, all pupils will have assessment folders that will give written details of their current progress and targets for improvement with regards to the physical, social and mental components of the subject.