The Science department is a dedicated, committed and enthusiastic team. Our GCSE results have been consistently good compared with science results in the county and nationally. The department prides itself on the quality and range of practical experiences provided for our students. The teaching team is supported by a team of technician and consists of well equipped labs and a computer suite. The department also has a Specialist Science Learning Mentor to support pupils that require additional support.

Alongside our conventional teaching and learning we also provide many opportunities for pupils to learn outside the class room with a Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) Club and various trips and in school events throughout the year, including our Year 8 Projects event, which has had great success inspiring our budding scientists.

Key Stage 3

In KS3 pupils attend a 60 minute science lesson six times a fortnight. This provides ample time for pupils to carry out practical experiments as well as theory work to consolidate their learning. The students follow a science programme of study based on the guidelines provided by the National Curriculum. The topics covered each year build on the knowledge gained in the previous year to provide a strong foundation for students in preparation for GCSE. Formal assessments include a mixture of core questions from previous topics as well as core questions and exam questions from the current topic. Core questions are provided at the start of the topic and should be learnt throughout the year to support retention and recall of knowledge over a longer Period of time.

Key Stage 4

In Year 10 and 11 all students study the AQA Science Trilogy (Double award) or three Separate Sciences (Separate Science Award), depending on their ability. The Separate Science students are not chosen until Year 11. Students following both pathways attend 60 minutes 9 times a fortnight these include Biology, Chemistry and Physics and are taught by 3 different specialist teachers. During these lessons, they learn the content and practical skills required to succeed in their final exams. Pupils are frequently encouraged to work on retrieving knowledge from earlier topics through Core Question health checks and retrieval quizzes. Core questions are provided at the start of the topic and should be learnt throughout the year to support retention and recall of knowledge over a longer Period of time. Assessments take place throughout the year and are cumulative. They can include both core questions and past exam questions to prepare them to both retrieve knowledge but also develop their ability to apply knowledge to exam style questions.