Science
Ethos and Aims
Science gives us the tools to observe the world around us and make sense of it. The study of Science fires pupils’ curiosity about phenomena and begin to see how things work, and to understand the scale of what they are looking at. It engages pupils at many levels, linking direct practical experience with scientific ideas. Experimentation and modelling are used to develop and evaluate explanations, encouraging critical and creative thought. Pupils learn how knowledge and understanding in Science are rooted in evidence. They discover how scientific ideas contribute to technological change (for example in business and medicine) and lead to improving the quality of life. They trace the development of Science worldwide and recognise its cultural significance. They learn to question and discuss issues that may affect their own life and the future of the World.
The pupils at the Bewdley School follow the National Curriculum for Science. The curriculum is designed to make sure all pupils develop their scientific knowledge and conceptual understanding through the specific disciplines of Biology, Chemistry and Physics; develop their understanding of the nature, processes and methods of science through different types of science enquiries that help them to answer scientific questions about the world around them and are equipped with the scientific knowledge required to understand the uses and implications of science, today and for the future.
The National Curriculum is just one element of the science education of every child at the Bewdley School. There is time and space in the school day and in each week, term and year to range beyond the National Curriculum programme of study. The National Curriculum provides an outline of core knowledge around which teachers develop exciting and stimulating lessons to promote the development of pupils’ knowledge, understanding, skills and enjoyment of Science.
Scientific discoveries are made by people hypothesising, conducting experiments, and then applying their knowledge of certain fields to the results. Without knowledge of what discoveries have been made previously, science cannot progress. Our curriculum is designed to ensure that students develop rich scientific knowledge allowing them to hypothesise and conduct accurate experiments, should they wish to do so.
Staffing
Mr C Beech – Head of Science
Ms A Morgan – Assistant Head of Science
Mrs K Beech – Teacher of Chemistry
Mr J Hickman – Teacher of Biology and SENCO
Mr C Horton – Teacher of Physics
Mrs C Jones – Teacher of Biology
Mrs S Leach – Teacher of Biology
Mr G Lowrie – Teacher of Physics
Mrs C McDoughall – Teacher of Biology and Co-Headteacher
Mr W Morris – teacher of Science and Psychology
Mrs C Pigford – Teacher of Biology
Mr C Radford – Teacher of Physics
Mrs D Walters – Teacher of Chemistry
Miss M Mallinson – Science Technician
Mrs N Pitt – Assistant Science Technician
At the Bewdley School, every pupil has an entitlement to benefit from curriculum provision and teaching of the highest quality. The Head of Department will collaborate and work to ensure that the curriculum, teaching and learning is planned, managed and delivered to the highest standard. The link member of the Senior Leadership Team and other key members of staff, will monitor the work of the Science Department to ensure that this high standard is met.
The most important role of teaching is to promote a love of learning and the acquisition of knowledge by pupils and to raise achievement. The Head of Department and SLT will ensure that all pupils benefit from a curriculum that is well led and will observe the monitoring, evaluation and review processes that are in place to ensure that the curriculum is delivered to the highest standard.
Intent
We see the acquisition of scientific knowledge as a five-year journey and structure our curriculum accordingly.
Key Stage 3
The Science Department’s intent is to make the National Curriculum relevant and meaningful to pupils, ensuring they are provided with subject specific vocabulary, knowledge and skills that allows them to make links across the three subject areas and fully prepare them for the step up to Key Stage 4 and GCSE. As such, we deliver the Hodder Springboard Science scheme of work in year 7 & 8. This provides a level of challenge carefully designed to and mapped to our KS4 curriculum to ensure pupils make continual progress across the five years.
Key Stage 4
At the Bewdley School, we believe that science has something to offer every pupil. The Science Department’s intent at KS4 is to deliver a curriculum which inspires and challenges pupils of all abilities and aspirations and prepares them to leave school as scientifically literate individuals or for further study post-16.
Key Stage 5
Through the delivery of the AQA Science courses, the Department’s intent is to fully prepare its students for their chosen path to higher education or employment.
The department is committed to ensuring that pupils in all key stages have a diverse range of additional opportunities which provide highly positive, memorable experiences and learning outside the classroom which contribute to their achievement and have a positive effect on their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development (eg the Discovery Society; Science Live!; The Big Bang Show; links with local Universities).
Pupil Premium and SEND pupils are supported at many levels by the department to ensure that they make at least the same progress as non-pupil premium pupils.
Implementation
“Memory is the residue of thought “– Daniel T Willingham
Teachers will use the appropriate Schemes of Work which include challenging content, with sequenced learning and progression through each key stage of education provided by the department. Lesson content and delivery is adapted to suit the strengths and weaknesses of individuals in each group by experienced teachers who know their students well.
The delivery of our curriculum is increasingly shaped by advances in the understanding of cognitive science and how this relates to learning and memory. Lessons are structured to optimise learning with teachers utilising a suite of cogsci informed practices to maintain attention and maximise student’s thinking time in lessons.
Structure
Key Stage 3
The National Curriculum will be taught to all pupils using Hodder Springboard Science scheme of work in year 7 & 8 as a platform for staff to build lessons. These will be used as the basis for long-term and medium-term planning, supported by the whole-school foci and policies.
Lesson resources in KS3 are structured to utilise recent advancements in our understanding of cognitive science to structure both the delivery and assessment of core content in a way to maximise long term ability to recall and retrieve the scientific knowledge obtained in lessons.
We recognise science as a practical subject and as such have a core list of practical activities completed by all pupils each year, supported by a practical handbook to develop their investigative skills. This is supplemented by the use of short practical and demonstrations to cement learning sequences completed in lessons.
Key Stage 4
The underpinning knowledge acquired through our KS3 years is built upon through the delivery of AQA Trilogy and Separate Sciences at GCSE. Students are taught by experienced subject specialists. We begin delivery of our KS4 curriculum in the spring term of year 9, once we have covered the national curriculum. This allows staff and students time to teach for deep understanding throughout the course, pausing to consolidate where needed and offering ample time for ongoing assessment and monitoring of each pupil’s progress.
Key Stage 5
We teach post 16 students who are passionate about the sciences and striving to take their studies further, with many going on to further study at university and beyond. To implement this we use AQA A level Biology, Chemistry & Physics to seamlessly transition from our AQA based 5 year KS3/4 curriculum. Development of practical skills at A level is supported by highly experienced science technicians and well established links with local universities.
Impact
Children develop as learners through knowing more and remembering more, building on prior learning and knowledge and developing the skills to become lifelong learners. The exciting and carefully structured curriculum that we provide will make sure all pupils develop their scientific knowledge and conceptual understanding through the specific disciplines of biology, chemistry and physics; develop their understanding of the nature, processes and methods of science through different types of science enquiries that help them to answer scientific questions about the world around them and are equipped with the scientific knowledge required to understand the uses and implications of science, today and for the future. We utilise a suite of cognitive science informed strategies to ensure that pupils think hard about lesson content and are given the opportunity and conditions to remember it long term.
The work of the Head of Department and Science staff will ensure that all pupils benefit from an exciting, rich, balanced curriculum that is matched appropriately to their age and abilities. They will ensure that all pupils are treated equally and given equal opportunities and access to the curriculum as much as is reasonably possible within a mainstream school.
We wish to provide our students with the skills and knowledge to leave us as scientifically literate young adults with “The ability and desire to follow reports of new scientific advances, throughout their whole life” Phillip Kitcher