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Science
Intent Statement
Exam board: AQA
There is a clear vision for the Science journey of all students at SEACA, it encompasses the whole school core values which are embedded throughout the curriculum. Our curriculum inspires learners to become confident, resilient scientists who develop a love of learning science. We believe all students should learn to appreciate the joy of science in the world around us across the disciplines of Biology, Chemistry and Physics. It empowers learners to apply scientific knowledge to unfamiliar contexts in the world around them, encouraging analytical thought to help them develop socially, morally, and spiritually; ensuring that students are prepared for life in modern Britain.
Key stage 3
At KS3, students follow content according to the National Curriculum. The program of study contains 10 “Big Ideas” split into 20 individual units. The spiral nature of the curriculum allows students to interact with the concepts at multiple opportunities during KS3 to build a strong foundation of knowledge. The curriculum is taught on a rotation of Biology, Chemistry and Physics units to mirror that of the KS4 curriculum to allow familiarity across each Key Stage.
Practical science skills are essential to supplement students’ theoretical knowledge and to help promote an intellectual curiosity for science. Practical skills are modelled for students and opportunities for students to develop these skills are embedded across the KS3 curriculum (see narrative below). Within each unit there are also opportunities to develop literacy skills aiming for students to become confident using scientific vocabulary correctly in their work. Misconceptions are carefully outlined within department plans and shared regularly during lessons. We aim for our Key Stage 3 curriculum to set the foundation for KS4 while inspiring students to pursue Science in the future.
Key stage 4
Students will begin their GCSE learning at the start of Year 10, Students will complete the AQA Combined Science Trilogy course, following the recommended sequence of learning suggested by AQA. The KS4 curriculum provides students with a broad and balanced science education, enabling them to develop a deeper understanding of fundamental scientific concepts from KS3 before introducing more complex content.
The spiral nature of the curriculum, again with Biology, Chemistry and Physics taught on rotation, promotes the formation of long-term knowledge retention. A variety of knowledge retrieval activities to aid long term memory are implemented across the department. Similarly, to KS3, misconceptions are anticipated and addressed during lessons. The curriculum promotes high standards of scientific literacy, equipping students with the correct vocabulary in every unit.