A high-quality science education provides the foundation for understanding the world around us. Science teaches an understanding of, and develops a sense of excitement and curiosity about natural phenomena. It aims to stimulate students to find out why things happen in the way they do and encourages them to understand how science can be used to explain what is occurring, predict how things behave and analyse causes. It teaches our students to work scientifically to stimulate creative thought and understand the nature, processes and methods of science. Students learn to ask scientific questions and begin to appreciate the way in which science will affect the future on a personal, national and global level.Objectives

  • The objectives of teaching science are to enable our students to:
    Work scientifically to develop an understanding of the nature, processes and methods of science, through different types of scientific enquiry that help them to ask and answer scientific questions about the world around them
  • Understand the uses and implications of science, today and for the future
  • Develop scientific knowledge and conceptual understanding in the following areas:
    • Biology: including plants, animals, habitats, evolution and inheritance
    • Chemistry: including everyday materials and their uses, rocks, states of matter and the properties and changes of materials
    • Physics: including seasonal changes, light forces, magnets, sound, electricity and earth and space

Curriculum Planning

The schemes of work for science are carefully planned within a Thematic Approach to Learning (TAL), or for older students, within a Skills for Life curriculum (SfL). All our science planning ensures that cross-curricular links are made, giving real purpose to learning within the context of a theme. Where links are not valuable, discrete science lessons are planned to ensure key skills and competencies from the National Curriculum programmes of study or the Edexcel Entry Level for science requirements are covered. Where possible, we include a local context, e.g. trips to Oxford National History/Science museums. The students are also able to enjoy enrichment opportunities, e.g. through science assemblies and science fairs, where the pupils become the experts and share their learning with the wider school community.