Welcome to the Science Department

The Science department team is dedicated to nurturing students through their studies, ensuring enthusiasm and fun is maintained throughout all levels. Our summer results were very pleasing creating a positive buzz amongst staff and students.

Our entitlement approach to learning ensures that every student is provided with the supported opportunity to develop the necessary skills to do well, both academically and in the wider world, irrespective of ability level.  Students are encouraged to develop resilience and take calculated risks, in order to achieve the highest grades.

We have a brilliant technical team that supports teachers in delivering interesting, engaging and well structured lessons. Students will engage in practical work, experience demonstrations and have access to a range of stimulating resources. Science allows students to learn through experiences in the classroom and to problem solve both individually and as part of a team.

The Programme of Study for Science begins in Year 7 as Students study a range of topics that build on their primary learning and addresses any gaps in learning between feeder schools, as necessary. All students continue to study a broad science curriculum through the Year 8 and 9 which ensures they have a solid foundation of scientific knowledge. Most Students follow the Double Award GCSE pathway, with higher achieving students following an accelerated programme towards Triple award. We are extremely proud of the progress our students make at Post 16 and the value added on their performance.  Many go on to successfully complete university courses.

The overriding aim of our curriculum is to encourage an inquisitive mind and to help students understand and constructively function in the ever-changing world around them. This includes both the natural world as well as the world of work so students can access careers, understand current events and make informed choices. We also aim to take into account the issues students will have from their experiences of remote learning and the curriculum is designed to identify gaps and address these through review and revisit cycles. 

The backbone of the science curriculum has grown from information on the national curriculum orders. There is also input from pupil voice, staff voice and work scrutiny. We aim to include a scientific understanding of their local surroundings such as fossils and rock formations in the Jurassic coast, local climate issues with reference to the MET office and making links to the medical departments at Exeter university through the men in white coats event. 

We are following an entitlement ethos. This ensures every student experiences core activities that build the essential skills and knowledge needed for them to make good progress and to reach their full potential. The activities are carefully selected, by Heads of Subject, and are fully resourced and explained. Staff, are expected, to engage with these activities and can edit them to suit their groups as long as the aim of the task has not changed.  

Entitlement tasks cover a range of skills including resilience building, careers awareness, revision skills and examination technique application. In line with the spirit of the whole school ethos, we also promote safety, good health, respect, tolerance and empathy towards others in many topics across the curriculum. 

Students are assessed on a 3-term system. They have mastery assessments and application assessments. The philosophy being to build knowledge and then apply it successfully.