Science

The Science curriculum aims to foster each student’s natural curiosity about the world around them by encouraging them to ask scientific questions about it. To that end, we aim to promote creative thinking and collaborative working, whilst also promoting high levels of core knowledge and understanding of scientific concepts.

In Year 7 and 8, Science is taught as a single subject, usually by one teacher. The topics within this subject, however, are designed in collaboration with the Biology, Chemistry and Physics departments to ensure that core knowledge included draws on the specialist expertise of teachers in these departments.

All teachers of Year 7 and Year 8 Science are specialist teachers of at least one science subject, enabling them to make the connections explicit between work in Year 7 and Year 8, and in the study of separate sciences in Year 9 and at Key Stage 4. The sequencing of topics aims to reinforce ideas learnt in previous topics and helps to establish the long-term retention of key ideas and encourage the formation of links between topics. Students are encouraged to be inquisitive about Science by becoming more widely read and conducting their own research through practical experiments and fieldwork designed to sustain and develop their curiosity for learning about the natural environment.

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In Year 7, we build on the concepts and skills taught at Key Stage 2 which form the basis for the acquisition of further knowledge and understanding. We actively draw attention to the links between different areas of knowledge to build more powerful understanding, and start to develop various scientific models, for example, the particle theory of matter.

Year 8

In Year 8, we develop knowledge and understanding – introducing new topics such as microbes and plants (further developing the cell model); study specific chemical reactions such as combustion and those involving acids and alkalis; and further deepen ideas about motion, forces and electricity. Two new areas are introduced: Earth Science and Astronomy.

By the end of Year 8, we expect students to have developed their practical skills, by working collaboratively with their partner in order to be able to conduct practical work safely, design and carry out investigations, as well as concluding and evaluating their experiments. These skills form the basis of ‘working scientifically’, the disciplinary knowledge in Science. We also expect students to achieve a significant level of substantive knowledge and understanding of core scientific principles in Biology, Chemistry and Physics to prepare them for learning separate sciences in Year 9 and beyond.

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When there is sufficient demand, pupils can follow the AQA Dual Award Science GCSE rather than taking three separate Science GCSEs. This allows them to take one further non-science option.

Students are taught Biology, Chemistry and Physics and will be entered for examinations in the core content of each subject area, which covers approximately three quarters of the content of each of the separate sciences.

The level of difficulty of the content is as hard as that encountered in separate science GCSE subjects. The course results in two GCSE grades, based in overall performance in all three sciences, for example 8/8 or 8/7.

Each subject comprises a number of units, which aim to develop an interest in and an enthusiasm for science. Students will develop a critical approach to scientific evidence and methods, and they will acquire and apply skills, knowledge and understanding of how science works and its essential role in society. 14

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Choosing to study Double Science will allow students to study a broader range of other subjects at GCSE or to pursue other interests, whilst gaining a good understanding of Science.

It is possible to progress to A level in any of Physics, Chemistry and/or Biology from Double Science provided a 8, 8 grade is obtained.

Head of Science

John Buttle [email protected]