Science
Unlocking the Secrets of the Universe
Head of Department: Dr. D George
At Gumley House Science Department is committed to providing a high-quality science education, setting the foundations for understanding the world through the specific disciplines of Biology, Chemistry and Physics. Science has changed our lives and is vital to the world’s future prosperity.
Through building up a body of key foundational knowledge and concepts, students will be able to build confidence, recognise the power of rational explanation using evidence and develop a sense of excitement and curiosity about natural phenomena. Simply put, we aim to equip our children with the knowledge and skills they need to become super scientists!
We offer a science curriculum that evokes curiosity, excitement and understanding about the world around them through the specific disciplines of biology, chemistry and physics whilst supporting the Fundamental British Values. The curriculum also ensures progression of skills and cumulative learning, building on and supporting the children’s metacognitive learning strategies through effective pedagogical and vocabulary rich teaching. Subject specific vocabulary is taught and built upon as topics are revisited to ensure conceptual understanding in order to be used accurately and precisely.
We know that our children learn through enquiry-based learning, thus science at Gumley has been structured to ensure that our students have first-hand science experiences from the beginning of their learning journey. This allows for independent exploration and investigation that then leads to progression of communication. Our students have access to science themed days, Science Club and STEM science events. These experiences, along with our progressive, creative curriculum, will enable our children to thrive as educated citizens of the future and through a growth mind-set approach, know that their learning has no limits. Our children understand that ‘what you are is God’s gift to you, what you become is your gift to God’.
CURRICULUM DOCUMENTS (SCIENCE)
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Science Learning Journey (KS3 to KS5) |
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In Science at Key Stage 3, we aim to:
- Build upon the knowledge and understanding gained from KS2 to enable students to explore and investigate the world around them.
- Ensure areas where there are a variety of experiences of Science at KS2 are identified and students are supported to give them a strong foundation from which to learn.
- Provide students with the skills and concepts to develop an enquiring mind to seek out why and how things work.
- Encourage students to find answers to scientific questions about the world around them and to develop a passion for Science allowing them to engage in thinking about the future uses of Science.
- Allow the discovery and evaluation of scientific phenomena through hands-on practical work.
- Prepare the foundations for the demands of the GCSE course at KS4.
Key Stage 4
All students will study science at KS4. Most will take the Combined science: Trilogy route, through which they will achieve two GCSEs. Some students who have a greater interest in Science may elect to study Separate Science, and achieve three GCSEs in Science. At KS4 students will:
- Build upon the comprehensive foundations established at KS3.
- Study a wide range of topics in Biology, Chemistry and Physics, such as Cell Biology, Chemical analysis, and Electromagnetism.
- Develop scientific literacy and a range of skills that will enable learners to understand and evaluate scientific concepts encountered in everyday life and other contexts.
- Have ample opportunity to explore each science practically through experiments and experimental investigations which are embedded into the course.
In addition to this each student will take part in 21 required practicals (24 for Separate Science students), thereby increasing their exposure to practical science. These practical activities will then be assessed during the final external exams
Assessment and monitoring:
We use a range of both formative and summative assessment strategies at Gumley House FCJ.
- Self-assessment (where students evaluate their own learning).
- Peer assessment – the children work together to evaluate each other’s learning.
- Ongoing formative assessment for learning by the teaching staff, assessing students' developing scientific skills and specific taught knowledge throughout a topic, allowing time for misconceptions to be addressed.
- Summative termly assessments to identify gaps, report to parents and inform teaching.
- Pupil questioning and discussion – our students will know, remember and apply their learning long-term.
- Attainment is recorded on Year Group specific grids that provide an overview for each individual child. Overall attainment of each child is recorded termly to indicate where those at, above or below target.
Chemistry Curriculum DETAIL
Key Stage 3 Chemistry
The emphasis is mainly on relating science to real life and giving students a big picture at the beginning of every topic, so that they understand the relevance and importance of chemistry in everyday life.
We have a spiral curriculum, where important concepts are revisited at the beginning of every topic, which will enable them to have a strong foundation on which they can build greater understanding of the subject content. The KS3 syllabus is divided into three main fields: Matter, Reactions and Earth science. The topic order has been based on the complexity of the topic along with the prerequisite knowledge that pupils require before undertaking each module. Particle theory is a key idea worked on from KS2 and is a relatively comfortable starting point when teaching the fundamentals of Chemistry to our year 7 students.
In year 7, we look at the particle model when discussing solids, liquids and gases as well as getting pupils to understand the differences between elements, compounds and mixtures and various separation techniques. Students are also introduced to the basics of the atomic structure and periodic table and its relevance in today’s world, thus helping them to understand how scientific methods and theories develop based on new evidence and ideas by collaboration of various scientists around the world.
In year 8 students are introduced to more complex chemistry of reactions like displacement and combustion. These topics focus a lot on practical work with fizzes, bangs and the colour changes that we associate with chemistry. Students also focus on Earth science where they are introduced to our naturally dynamic planet and include ideas of how fossils and rocks are formed. They also learn about the rock cycle, carbon cycle and effect of human activities on the environment and they end their KS3 with a thorough understanding of how recycling and sustainable development is key when addressing issues around climate change
Key Stage 4 Chemistry
We start our Key Stage 4 towards the end of Year 9 which builds on from the foundations of atomic structure and periodic table studied in year 7. A few lessons are spent on revisiting the key concepts covered in KS3.
Ionic bonding builds on from electronic structure to atomic structure. Energy changes builds on from types of reactions in Year 7 but also links to equilibria in year 11. Rates of reaction links into energy changes. Quantitative Chemistry is one of the more complex topics with a lot of higher paper content. Therefore, it is done in Year 10 and then chemical changes, as it is another complex topic especially; electrolysis which builds on from many ideas such as displacement reactions and the rock cycle in Year 7. Ionic bonding needs to be taught before electrolysis.
Whilst pupils being taught the combined science route in Year 11 still have some content that needs covering, the topics included are those which have the greatest emphasis on the Separate Science course. These topics build on from the combined science topic and go a little further with their detail. Placing these topics here will allow interleaving for both routes, the Separate Scientists with the enhancement of key ideas in the combined course whilst allowing the combined Scientists to revisit key points from previous topics.
In year 11 students study Chemical Analysis which revisits separation techniques, with a focus on chromatography, Combustion and cracking (as well as polymers) are key concepts for all building on from hydrocarbons topic in Year 10. The organic Chemistry topic is more extensive for separate scientists and is useful in being taught before the separate science content of polymers is fully addressed.
Using resources allows the combined scientists to revisit ideas of recycling and potable water whereas separate scientists can develop further, with ideas of rusting, alloys and the Haber process.
The ambition of the department is that all students have access to subject-specialist teaching in Physics, Chemistry and Biology during Years 9-11 in order to provide them with the very deepest knowledge in each discipline. By the end of Key Stage 4, the aim of the chemistry department is to ensure that students have enough confidence and knowledge in explaining everyday and technological applications of science; evaluating associated personal, social, economic and environmental implications; and making decisions based on the evaluation of evidence and arguments.
Key Stage 5 Chemistry
KS5 chemistry has a two-teacher system where each teacher has an equal number of hours per week. Topics link nicely from Year 12 to 13 and AQA guidance is extremely sensible in the order that these are taught. One teacher will address ideas relating to the Physical and Inorganic Chemistry topics whereas teacher 2 will focus on the organic side of teaching.
Simple links include Year 12 Energetics moving on to Year 13 thermodynamics and 'An introduction to Organic Chemistry' moving on to alkanes, alkenes and alcohols and then, in Year 13, developing further to esters and aromatic chemistry.
Students are expected to carry out practical work in each topic, where it is appropriate, in a responsible manner and record data effectively in order to be able to analyse it and draw conclusions from it. Keywords are vital in chemistry and are provided on each topic checklist in an unambiguous manner in order to allow students to recognise them. Teachers use these words during lessons and expect verbal responses from students to include appropriate scientific language. At the end of KS5 one of the key aspects that the chemistry department aims to see in the students is the ability to communicate the scientific rationale for investigations, including the methods used, the findings and reasoned conclusions, using paper-based and electronic reports and presentations.
Our curriculum at Gumley House goes far beyond what is taught in lessons, for whilst we want students to achieve the very best examination results possible, we believe our curriculum goes beyond what is examinable. As a department we provide an after school STEM club. We also have an after school session every week to prepare Year 12 students for the Cambridge Chemistry Challenge competition and Year 13 students for the RSC Chemistry Olympiad. We also provide personalised mock interviews for those applying to medical universities where interviews play an important role in the application process. Year 13 students, with the support of the Chemistry Department, provide a lunchtime/after school medical society club for those wishing to study Medicine at university where Year 12 students can go along and gain information about the application process.
Biology Curriculum Detail
Studying Biology is crucial for students’ good understanding of the world around them. More and more, our society is based on technologies developed and expressed in scientific language through a range of media, from attention-grabbing headlines to well researched data presented as fact. A well rounded scientific education will give students the framework to understand where the research fits into current thinking, as well as the ability to assess and evaluate the conclusions being drawn from data that may vary in terms of its credibility.
Much of biology stems from our desire to make better use of natural resources and to understand systems that we rely on for life and health and our hope is that by studying Biology at Gumley House, students develop a love of learning, about how their own body functions, to the biological systems around them. It will give them the understanding to know how to ask valid questions, and where to look for answers by studying scientists who have carried out the same process throughout history. This will involve the learning of theoretical concepts in the context of their development, and examples that are relevant to students, as well as investigating phenomena outside of the classroom and in challenging lab work.
At Key Stage 3 the focus is on developing students’ love of science alongside their understanding of the practical skills involved in answering their questions. Each year we start by focusing on individual cells/organisms before learning about interactions between organisms in their environment.
In Key Stage 4 students will study either towards AQA Combined Science (Trilogy) or AQA GCSE Biology. In Years 9 and 10 we revisit and build on ideas encountered in Key Stage 3, before consolidating learning in Year 11 and covering Triple Science content before sitting GCSE exams.
At Key Stage 5 students study towards AQA A Level Biology, sitting external exams at the end of year 13.
Physics CURRICULUM DETAIL
The goal of physics is to learn how the universe behaves. The study and understanding of physics can be broken down into the fields of energy and matter. Through the use of theoretical and practical approaches students will gain an opportunity to form hypotheses and to test their theories in an effort to better understand the world around them. It is our goal that students will learn robust skills following the scientific method that will allow them to form better questions and equip them with the tools necessary to broaden their horizons.
Key Stage 3
In Year 7 we begin by teaching the key concepts of energy and heat transfer as well as waves. Year 8 builds on these concepts with the topics of electricity, electromagnetism, forces, gravity and space. Our aim is to challenge the misconceptions around energy transfer early in their scientific career as the transfer of energy underpins so much understanding related to observable behaviour of matter. We will use the Working Scientifically skills to encourage students to make and test theories related to energy transfer as well as balanced and unbalanced forces. These units form a solid base for the challenges ahead in Key Stage 4 while still inspiring students to learn more about scientific discoveries here on Earth and beyond.
Key Stage 4
The aim of the Key Stage 4 curriculum is to build and refine the concepts already visited at Key Stage 3. The Working Scientifically skills developed during Key Stage 3 will be utilised in planning, completing and evaluating the AQA Required Practicals. We aim to draw on real world concepts, the "Big Picture", so students can start to apply their knowledge from every lesson.
Key Stage 5
At Key Stage 5 students are challenged beyond anything they have thus far encountered and are required to apply their understanding to ever more challenging situations and contexts. Familiar topics of electricity, waves, forces and thermodynamics are expanded to greater depths with exciting additional modules such as astrophysics and cosmology and medical physics. We hope to instil a sense of passion and excitement in our students for this challenging subject with practical work, discussion, debate, questioning and independent study. Skills that will carry them forward in their chosen university and career path.
Studying Sciences at Sixth Form
For more information on the content of Science curriculum at Key Stage 5, please visit our Sixth Form Course Guide.
Where can Science take me?
The list of careers that you could pursue through a science qualification or degree is absolutely limitless.
There are more traditional careers such as Medicine, Veterinarian Science, Physicist, Pharmacist, Meteorologist, Surveyor, Lab technician and Engineer. Or perhaps less traditional pathways like a diver, sound technician/engineer, climate change scientist, ecologist or pilot. In addition to this, Science graduates are highly sought after in the financial industry.