Science
Science
Thirds (Year 7)
Third Form science is a co-ordinated course aimed to familiarise students with laboratory work and safety, giving them a solid foundation in the three sciences. It seeks to encourage their inquisitive nature and nurture a love of the subject, preparing them for the more analytical and conceptual work that follows in later years. If, at the end of the year, they know how to behave in a lab and think that science is interesting, then we have succeeded (and they will have picked up a good grounding on the way!)
Most of the first term is spent on doing a wide range of experiments safely, and representing results obtained clearly in tables and on graphs. We then move on to a study of topics to give pupils a greater awareness of science around them eg. Earth and Space; Sounds and Hearing; Materials; Living things and classifying them; Reproduction and Puberty.
Shells and Fouths (Years 8 & 9)
Science in the Shells and Fourths is delivered by subject specialists in each of Biology, Chemistry and Physics. In the main the course content is drawn from the National Scheme of Work for Science and delivered through practical investigations and problem solving activities building on the foundations laid down in the Third Forms.
| Biology | Living Things. | Diet & Digestion, Respiration, Breathing. | Inheritance and selection, Fit and Healthy, Photosynthesis and Plants. |
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| Chemistry | Materials. | Rocks and Weathering, Atoms, Elements and Compounds. | Metals, Reactivity. |
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| Physics | Solar System. | Electrical circuits, Heating & cooling, Forces. | Energy & electricity, Speeding up, Pressure, Gravity & Space. |
Each year builds on and extends what has gone before.
Teaching takes place in a dedicated laboratory, fully equipped for practical work and with IT facilities.
Pupil’s progress is closely monitored through tests at the end of each topic and weekly homework.