The main focus of the Science curriculum at KS3 is to develop a deeper understanding of a range of scientific ideas across the disciplines of Biology, Chemistry and Physics.
All pupils at Key Stage 3 Science follow the Collins AQA Key Stage 3 syllabus and this is fully compliant with the National Curriculum.
The course we follow enables us to promote teaching for understanding across ten “big ideas” with mastery goals that are shared with pupils as they study each of the four building block topics that provide the building blocks for the “big ideas”. This enables links between ideas to be made and for pupils to start to think scientifically. The mastery goals allow pupils to know, apply and extend across topics and then to further develop their investigative skills.
We aim for pupils to think and work in a scientific way: to understand that science is about working objectively, modifying explanations to take account of new evidence and ideas and subjecting results to peer review. Pupils are encouraged to make their own decisions regarding the appropriate type of scientific enquiry to undertake to answer their own questions and to develop a deeper understanding of factors to be taken into account when collecting, recording and processing data. They should evaluate their results and identify further questions arising from them.
Our lessons are planned using exciting contexts, resources and investigations. Pupils are challenged to develop the wide range of skills and knowledge that Science demands, preparing them fully for GCSE study at Key Stage 4.
In addition learning projects on health issues and energy resources are carried out at the end of Year 7 and Science Fair allows pupils to develop an investigation into a question of their choice at the end of Year 8. The Science Fair has developed from our links with schools in Chicago (USA) and has been hugely successful in allowing pupils to learn to use investigative skills independently and with passion.
Homework
Homework is provided through Educake Online software in order to continue to develop recall and skills that follow up learning in class.
Pupils also complete an extended writing project each term on a different topic, designed to widen their understanding of key topics in Science.
Termly Assessment
Each term pupils will receive a percentage score home for an assessment which covers the three or four topics most recently taught on the curriculum map.
