Science

Department ethos:– The faculty believes all students are of equal worth and this is reflected in a caring and supportive approach by staff. Students are provided with a stable and ordered environment in which to learn and achieve their full potential. Staff will encourage the development of an independent and enquiring mind.

The faculty’s aim is that students should develop confidence in their own ability, understand and enjoy the discipline of Science. Students will develop skills that allow them to make sense of the world around them, and to construct informed opinions on topical issues through an understanding of science facts, concepts and the ideas behind ‘How Science Works’.

The faculty ensures these aims are broadly achieved by:

 1. Providing a broad and balanced Science curriculum for all students based upon the National Curriculum.

2. Making the curriculum relevant, enjoyable and demanding, and delivering content in such a way that is appropriate to the needs of the individual.

3. Emphasising the importance of Science in an ever changing technological world and take into account its applications to everyday life.

4. Developing student’s knowledge, skills, processes concepts and attitudes within a scientific context and challenging students to think beyond the obvious.

5. Providing a safe caring, environment for learning, for the development of the whole person.

6. Assessing each pupil in such a way as to motivate the individual and develop their scientific literacy and promote scientific awareness.

7. Developing an appreciation that some of the activities undertaken in Science have links with other areas of the curriculum and that other subject’s impact on their Science education.

8. Enabling pupils to understand the physical changes that happen to them and promoting a healthy lifestyle.

Supporting the school’s specialism:- The faculty ensures that the Science curriculum supports the school’s designation as a performing arts college through the following strategies:

 Key Stage 3 Science staff to be proactive in use of ‘modelling’ and ‘role-playing’ and ‘discussion groups’ in science education.

We can contextualise aspects of the curriculum. For example, when developing ideas about colour mixing, we can relate this to theatre lighting, when teaching sound, we can relate the ideas developed to playing music.

The Health Issues topic at the end of year 9 already has a number of complementary teaching styles. For example we use role-plays and conscience alleys.

Key Stage 4 The new GCSE provides many opportunities for the use of ‘modelling’ and ‘role-playing’ and ‘discussion groups’. Science staff to be encouraged to be actively seeking opportunities within the curriculum when writing the new SoW. We can also contextualise aspects of the curriculum. Sound is revisited in Key Stage 4 and the advantage of transferring sound digitally over analogue methods appear in the wave and radiation module and can be taught using the context of sound and image transfer. It is most appropriate to do this as we develop the new KS4 course.

Links to outside agencies:-

Science Club. Once a week there will be a lunchtime Science Club. This is aimed at year 7 pupils. Activities may include: Investigations, competitions and challenges for awards e.g. CREST awards.

Educational visits.These currently include visits to the Westonbirt Arboretum (Year 7), the National Science Museum in London (Y8), @ Bristol (Gifted and Talented).

Gifted and Talented Our Gifted and Talented students are given the opportunity in years 10 and 11 to take examinations in Triple Sciences. This gives those individuals a much wider and detailed understanding of the subject, and facilitates any future progression. This course includes a one hour class ‘top up’ after school each week.

Key Stage 2 & 3 transition The faculty is proactive in ensuring the most is made of our future student’s transition. It is involved heavily in the Year 6 Tutor Group Days, and there are regular visits to our feeder primary schools whenever and wherever possible.

School-Centred Initial Teacher Training - SCITT The faculty currently supports two SCITT students through this course, developing the science teachers of tomorrow.

Department successes:- Results at both Key Stages are currently very good, and the faculty is constantly aiming for further improvement.

Key Stage 3

Key Stage 4

Useful web addresses:- These are some web sites that everyone might find interesting they have good simulations and games on them as well as being good for revising and looking up facts!

http://lgfl.skoool.co.uk/keystage3.aspx?id=63

Opens on ks3 biology but has short movie clips with sound for most Ks3 and Ks4 subjects.

http://www.wpbschoolhouse.btinternet.co.uk/
DocBindexKS3.htm

A nice site with quizzes on lots of the key stage 3 units to try.

http://www.scienceyear.com/outthere/start.html

A lovely web site with lots of exciting activities and simulations! Including designing your own planet.

http://science.howstuffworks.com/channel.
htm?ch=science&ct=library

A  reference site you can look up all sort of stuff! comes with pictures and diagrams.

For years 10 and 11 lots of quizzes on chemistry
including ones for modules 05 metals and 06 earth materials