Science at Sir Thomas Rich's
“Somewhere, something incredible is waiting to be known.”
-- Carl Sagan
“If we knew what it was we were doing, it would not be called research, would it?”
-- Albert Einstein
Studying Science is learning how the physical world works and trying to improve our understanding of it. The fundamental skills are observation, measuring and making hypotheses. At STRS an emphasis is placed on practical work, which is essential for both understanding the content of Science and how to work scientifically.
In Year 7, pupils follow a general Science course. In subsequent years, separate sciences are studied, unless students specifically opt for Double Science in Year 10. (See Key Stage 4)

Key Stage 3 - Year 7
- Introduction to Science – safety and measurement
- Moving particles
- Elements, compounds and mixtures
- Variety of life and cells
- Energy
- Dissolving and separating mixtures
- Forces and density
- Classification, feeding relationships and ecology
In Year 7, all pupils at STRS follow a general Science course, consisting of roughly equal amounts of Biology, Chemistry and Physics. The course provides a solid foundation for the study of Science, equipping pupils with the skills and knowledge to develop the subject further in their separate Science lessons in Years 8 and 9. There is an emphasis on practical laboratory-based work, as this is fundamental to understanding the way Science works.
In Years 8 and 9, all pupils study Biology, Chemistry and Physics separately.
Key Stage 4 - Years 10 & 11
- Biology:
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- Cell biology
- Organisation
- Infection and response
- Bioenergetics
- Chemistry:
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- Atomic structure and the periodic table
- Bonding, structure and the properties of matter
- Quantitative chemistry
- Chemical changes
- Energy changes
- Physics:
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- Energy
- Electricity
- Particle model of matter
- Atomic structure
N/A till 2018
At Key Stage 4, students are given the choice between continuing to study Biology, Chemistry and Physics as separate subjects (Triple Science) and taking a reduced course in all three sciences, leading to two GCSE grades in Science (Double Science). At STRS, the overwhelming majority of our students opt for separate sciences.
However, we recognise that a number of students wish to develop their talents and interests in many other subjects. Therefore, we offer Double Science as a means of increasing the number of other options available at GCSE from four to five subjects. Currently, about 10 students take Double Science in Year 10 and none in Year 11. Academically, this course is as demanding as separate sciences, although it covers a narrower range of topics. Therefore, we advise anyone considering pursuing A level sciences to choose separate sciences at GCSE, as these courses provide a broader and more secure knowledge base, from which to tackle A level sciences.
