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Science

The Science department is committed to inspiring a passion for Science, that raises the life chances of our pupils, through insightful, informed, well-resourced confident teaching. 

Through shared expertise, up to date resources, focused CPD and a collaborative approach, Science staff work in a supportive atmosphere, where members can draw upon the skills of the department to move forward professionally. As a result, our pupils enjoy a broad, challenging Science curriculum that develops independent thought and a curiosity for the world around them, whilst giving them the means in which to explore it in a constructive and thoughtful way, making the most of every learning opportunity.  

Staffing:

​​​​​​​All teachers within the science department have the expertise to teach all three science disciplines at KS3.

Head of Department: Mr C Walsh 

Associate Head of Science: Mr A Ali (Chemistry)

2nd in Science: Mrs C Turner (Biology)

Teachers of Science: Mrs M Jones (Biology) – Teacher in charge of Physics, Mrs S Chowdhury (Biology) – Teacher in charge of Biology 

Ms Z Ali (Chemistry) – Teacher in charge of Chemistry, Mr S Neylon (Biology), Mrs H Choudhury (Chemistry), Mrs E Rahman (Biology), Ms T Ghani (Biology), Mrs F Ali (Biology) 

Miss I Bibi (Chemistry) , Mr M Hoare (Biology) , Miss T Whittington – Senior Technician, Mrs J Collins – Technician 

Key Stage 3 Course outline

Pupils in KS3 follow a three-year condensed accelerated Scheme of Work (SoW) in line with the National Curriculum.

The scheme of work the pupils will be following is Activate 1 for year 7 and Activate 2 for year 8, published by Oxford university press.

In year 9, pupils begin preparing for their GCSE studies in Key Stage 4; pupils are made aware of GCSE assessment objectives and units reflect the skills needed to complete different parts of their GCSE course.

The courses are highly engaging and focus on knowledge, practical skills in working scientifically, numeracy and literacy to bring science alive and establish its relevance

The topics taught in Years 7 – 9 are:

Assessment

For Key stage 3, pupils will complete one formative assessment each half term and a summative assessment at the end of each term. Each assessment can be marked by the teacher, peers or by the student themselves and during the course of their time in Science, students will experience all approaches in order to maximise their knowledge and understanding.

Each summative assessment will assess content studied in the year up to that point.

Homework

Homework is designed to consolidate learning so pupils can develop a deeper understanding and apply their learning in different contexts.  Homework tasks may include, completing, consolidating or extending class work, through use of worksheets, practical write ups, research, modelling, summary questions, practice exam questions and use of online resources, cross-curricular projects and quizzes.

Opportunities will also be made to promote the development of literacy and numeracy skills and provide exam technique practice through the use of Exampro and Testbase. Online resources will include, Kerboodle, GCSEPod, Seneca and BBC Bitesize. Homework activities will be set regularly and are intended to challenge and build upon prior learning or prepare for future topics. It will be marked in accordance with the departmental and whole school marking policy.

Cross-curricular links and projects

For KS3, pupils are invited to join the science club. This takes place after school and allows the pupils to develop their practical skills and make links to topical issues and careers in science, technology, engineering and maths, known as STEM.

Year 7 pupils will be invited to attend master classes such as the Christmas lectures at Birmingham University, whilst Year 8 pupils will attend the Big Bang Fair at the NEC. Year 9 pupils will experience STEM lectures from the University of Birmingham.

KS3 Additional Reading

All pupils will receive a KS3 revision guide which can be used by teachers to set homework. Pupils are strongly encouraged to work independently using this resource (AQA Activate 1 Intervention workbook, published by Oxford University Press). Year 9 will be provided with a CGP revision guide. In addition, pupils will be encouraged to read about science in the news, and follow enlightening science documentaries such as Planet Earth, The Blue Planet, Wonders of the Solar System, Dara O Briain’s science club to name a few.

Key Stage 4 Courses

Pupils follow the AQA GCSE Science 9-1 in Year 10 and Year 11 (either GCSE Combined or Separate Science course), which includes Biology, Chemistry & Physics. Some students will follow the Separate Sciences. The pre-requisite for pupils to follow this course is: Achieving a Step 4/5 by the end of Year 8.

Course title: AQA GCSE (9-1) Life and environmental sciences for combined science: synergy.

Course title: Separate biology, chemistry and physics.

All three GCSE Separate Sciences or Combined Science aims to give learners opportunities to:

• develop their interest in and enthusiasm for, Biology, Chemistry and Physics;
• develop a critical approach to scientific evidence and methods;
• acquire and apply skills, knowledge and understanding of How Science Works and its essential role in society;
• acquire scientific skills, knowledge and understanding necessary for progression to further learning.
• Most students will follow the Combined Science Trilogy course, which they will be introduced to in Year 9 by following a year of skill-building and introduction to Core Science teaching and assessment.

A level Biology: 

Course title: AQA A level Biology 7402 

Course content: This is an academic course which prepares pupils for further study at degree level. There are three sets of skills that are identified in the specification: Mathematical skills, Apparatus and techniques and Practical skills. Practical work and skills will be assessed in two ways: exam papers and practical endorsement. There are 12 required practicals’ to be completed over the two years. Pupils attend a field study residential which enables students to further develop their practical skills, as well as their analytic and evaluative techniques.

Topics include:

Assessment:

There are three written examination papers (2 hours each): Paper 1 and 2 are 35% and paper 3 is 30%. Paper 3 includes a 25 mark essay question. The pupils are encouraged to carry out research tasks and do wider reading to further enhance their knowledge and understanding of Biology. Throughout the course pupils are given end of topic and diagnostic tests to help the Biology teachers identify pupils’ strengths, areas of concerns and put in the required intervention to support the pupil. The practical endorsement offers a wide range of practical experience incorporating apparatus, skills and techniques

Staffing: Mrs S Chowdhury (Masters in Immunology and Infection), Ms M Jones and Mrs C Turner

Homework tasks: Pupils are given homework which allows them to demonstrate their application skills. It consist of exam style questions for practice in the form of a Homework booklet. Worksheets are also used which include synoptic links and the opportunity to develop mathematical skills. Application and extended type questions are included, as well as completion of practical write ups and research tasks to develop higher order thinking skills.

Cross-curricular links: links are made with A Level Chemistry and A Level Maths courses to gain and use transitional skills.

Extra-Curricular activities/clubs on offer:  Visits to universities near and far (within UK). Residential field trips. Taster sessions can be arranged in chosen subject area.

Career links: This course will provide pupils with the necessary skills for further study at Universities/employment. This course will enable students to pursuit careers within Medicine, Pharmacy, Dentistry, Optometry and Nursing to name a few.

A level Chemistry

Course title: OCR A Chemistry (H432)

Assessment: A Level Chemistry is covered by three written examinations totalling 6 hours. (2 x 2 hours 15 minutes and 1 x 1 hour 30 minutes papers) taken at the end of the course. Paper 1: Fundamentals of Chemistry (has a weighting of 30%), Paper 2: Scientific Literacy Chemistry (has a weighting of 40%) and Paper 3: Practical skills in Chemistry (has a weighting of 30%). The course is a 100% linear written examination which incorporates a wide range of question types, including multiple choice, short and extended responses. The practical endorsement offers a wide range of practical experience incorporating apparatus, skills and techniques which are carried out in school and assessed internally with constitutes either a pass or fail and must be completed in conjunction with the examination, in order to be awarded the full examination grade.

Staffing: Mr A Ali BSc in Pure and Applied Chemistry, Mr C Walsh BSc Biochemistry and Genetics, Ms Z Ali Chemistry Specialist

Homework tasks: consist of exam style questions for practice in the form of a Homework booklet. Worksheets are also used which include synoptic links and the opportunity to develop mathematical and practical laboratory technical skills. Application and extended type questions are included, as well as completion of practical write ups and research tasks to develop higher order thinking skills.

Cross-curricular links: links are made with A Level courses in Maths, Biology, Physics and Geography to gain and use transitional skills.

Extra-Curricular activities/clubs on offer:  Visits to universities near and far (within UK) for lectures and master classes. Taster sessions can be arranged in chosen subject area.

Career links:

The course is a prerequisite for a variety of STEM based degrees. It is an important subject for careers in: medicine, environmental science, engineering, toxicology, developing consumer products, metallurgy (studying how metals behave), space exploration, developing perfumes and cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, energy, teaching, science writing, software development and research.

A level Physics.

Course title: OCR PHYSICS A H556

Assessment: Physics is covered by three examinations:  Total of 6 hours of examinations (2 x 2 hours 15 minutes and 1 x 1 hour 30 minutes) taken at the end of the course. A wide range of questions types which include multiple choice, short answer and extended response questions. The practical endorsement offers a wide range of practical experience incorporating apparatus, skills and techniques.

Staffing: Mr C Walsh and Mr Neylon

Homework tasks: consist of exam style questions for practice in the form of a Homework booklet. Worksheets are also used which include synoptic links and the opportunity to develop mathematical skills. Application and extended type questions are included, as well as completion of practical write ups and research tasks to develop higher order thinking skills.

Cross-curricular links: links are made with the A Level Maths and A Level Chemistry courses to gain and use transitional skills.

Extra-Curricular activities/clubs on offer:  Visits to universities near and far (within UK). Residential outings to research centres in Europe. Taster sessions can be arranged in chosen subject area.

Career links: The course is a prerequisite for a variety of STEM based degrees, including a variety in Physics, Maths and Engineering. Any Physics type degree holds a lot of calibre in today’s world and career opportunities are vast. There are also advanced apprenticeships in industry, at present aerospace, nuclear power generation and electrical power distribution. Future careers are endless and include companies such as: Boeing, Car technologies, nuclear plant, Electro science technology, Honda research, NASA, Microsoft to name a few.

BTEC Applied Science.

Course title: BTEC Level 3 National Extended Certificate in Applied Science (2016)

Course code: 601/7436/5

Assessment: Units 1 comprises of a 40-minute exam each for Biology, Chemistry and Physics taken at the end of year 1. A wide range of questions types are answered in this paper including multiple choice, short answer and extended response questions. Unit 3 is a 3-hour practical followed by a written paper based on the practical taken in year 2. This is based more on calculations and data-interpretation.

The practical endorsement in all four units offers a wide range of practical experience incorporating apparatus knowledge, communication m data-interpretation skills and techniques amongst others.

Staffing: Ms Ali, Ms Ghani, Ms Jones.

Homework tasks: Exam-style questions are given in the homework booklet and online quizzes. Worksheets given include, synoptic links and the opportunity to develop mathematical skills. Application and extended type questions are included, as well as completion of practical write-ups and research tasks to develop higher-order thinking skills such as analytical and evaluative skills. Assignments are based heavily on improving scientific research skills and data-interpretation where practicals are included. A plethora of time is dedicated to unit 2 and 14 assignment self-research and assignment write-ups.

Cross-curricular links: The course is designed for learners who are interested in learning about the science sector alongside other fields of study, with a view to progressing to a wide range of higher education courses, not necessarily in applied science. To be taken as part of a programme of study that includes other appropriate BTEC Nationals or A Levels. Appropriate A Level combinations can be A Level Chemistry and Biology.

Extra-Curricular activities/clubs on offer:  Visits to universities and linked sectors can be arranged with a view to give a taster into different linked fields such as nursing.

Career links: Pupils who successfully complete this course can study for degrees in a range of careers, depending on their other subjects. Please refer to university entry requirements for further information.