Science

The purpose of the AGFS Science curriculum is:

• To promote ambition by encouraging scholars to become scientists and go on to have an input scientifically in society.
• The develop growth by creating scientific enquiry and curiosity to investigate.
• To encourage fellowship by working together as a team, like scientists and respect/challenge scientific theories.
• To cultivate scholarship by mastering scientific core knowledge and skills that will lead scholars to Russell Group universities to study one or more of the science disciplines.

The Science curriculum is organised by the power standards. These standards reflect the essence of the subject as an academic discipline and reflect the strands of each discipline that must be developed to achieve mastery. These threads are cross-referenced against the KS3 national curriculum, GCSE, A Level specification, and degree courses at Russell Group universities to ensure that scholars’ experience of the subject is as broad and as academically rigorous as possible.

The Science power standards are: 

1. Describe key concepts using scientific keywords
2. Explain key concepts using scientific keywords
3. Apply key concepts to familiar and unfamiliar contexts
4. Manipulate data to carry out calculations, represent data and identify patterns
5. Analyse and interpret data to formulate a conclusion

All Year 7 subjects Next Year 7 Subject - History

All Year 8 subjects Next Year 8 Subject - History

All Year 9 subjects Next Year 9 Subject - History

All Year 10 subjects Next Year 10 Subject - History

All Year 10 subjects Next Year 10 Subject - History

All Year 10 subjects Next Year 10 Subject - History

All Year 10 subjects Next Year 10 Subject - History

All Year 11 subjects Next Year 11 Subject - History

All Year 11 subjects Next Year 11 Subject - History

All Year 11 subjects Next Year 11 Subject - History

All Year 11 subjects Next Year 11 Subject - History

Recommended websites/online platforms:

• https://www.my-gcsescience.com/
• https://senecalearning.com/en-GB/
• https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/subjects/z7nygk7
• https://www.physicsandmathstutor.com/
• https://www.aqa.org.uk/find-past-papers-and-mark-schemes

Recommended activities to complete with your child:

• https://www.educationquizzes.com/gcse/science/
• https://www.cgpbooks.co.uk/resources/free-gcse-science-10-minute-tests
• https://docbrown.info/page03/page03.htm
• https://www.educationquizzes.com/ks3/science/
• https://www.docbrown.info/ks3science.htm

Scholars receive verbal, self and peer feedback every lesson through:

• Whole class feedback on common misconceptions in the read now, recall now activities and during daily review.
• Responses to whole class checking for understanding activities, such as hand signal responses, ‘heads down’ and mini whiteboard tasks. 
• Teacher intentional monitoring during deliberate practice activities. 

Scholars are expected to respond in the moment to this feedback to show they can correct errors and improve their knowledge and understanding. 

Scholars receive written teacher feedback after each checkpoint. Scholars complete checkpoint tasks independently so teachers can review what they know and can do. Checkpoints in Science consist of:

• Section A: Assesses the science Golden nuggets - 10 questions worth 10 marks
• Section B: Assesses content on the specific topic - 10-15 marks

Written feedback from checkpoints will consist of:

• A score for section A and section B.
• Celebration of what has gone well. 
• Identification of a high leverage target. 

Scholars will complete a refinement task to show their understanding of the target and to demonstrate their capacity to improve their work. This could be achieved through redrafting a section of their work or attempting a similar task

Success in Science can lead to careers in:

• Medicine
• Pharmacy
• Engineering
• Industry
• Environment and Conservation
• Dentistry
• Teaching/Lecturing
• Criminology
• Astronomy and Meteorology 
• Archaeology
• Sports Science

Through the study of Science, scholars will be exposed to a range of culturally enriching knowledge and experiences. 

Cultural capital within the curriculum: Careers and Information, advice and guidance provision embedded within lessons. Health Education provision (social, personal and physical) within biology topics.

Science contribution to the enrichment and drop down day programme:

• Yr 7 - Science Museum – to allow scholars to become aware of topical issues in science and discover science through a different medium
• Yr 8 – Space Day – to consolidate understanding of space knowledge, evaluate ideas and theories whilst becoming aware of topical issues
• Yr 9 – Ecology Day – to explore different methods of measuring the distribution of species
• Yr 10 – Forensics Day – to develop techniques and consolidate experimental methods used to analyse forensic samples and reinforce links between each science discipline
• Yr 11 – Walking Talking Mocks – to develop scientific exam techniques to prepare for all future Science exams. This will also allow scholars to develop assessment tactics for their future and succeed
• CREST club for Year 7,8 & 9

• On Wednesday afternoons, the department also offer a Science enrichment club, where scholars complete a variety of experiments such as making plastic milk and chromatography trolls. They also develop leadership skills by leading experiments with local primary schools.
• Introduced A-Level Science and the history of Science.