Curriculum Plans: Please click here for the curriculum plans for science
The purpose of the science curriculum is to create rational, analytical thinkers who can use scientific knowledge to make good decisions, particularly concerning their health (e.g. by understanding medical advice), their homes (e.g., appreciating how to improve energy efficiency) and wider society (e.g. how best to manage the environment). Knowledge of science, and the scientific method, enables them to be scientifically informed citizens, but it also serves as the foundation for a career in science, or for careers that require scientific understanding. In addition, we learn science because knowledge is an intrinsic good, and it is only by knowing more science that we can fully appreciate, and make sense of our place in the universe.
Core curriculum principles in the science curriculum:
Entitlement: The science curriculum at Trumpington Community College covers the National Curriculum. We have added to the content covered by the National Curriculum, but we have not removed any content specified in the National Curriculum.
Coherence: We sequence our units to introduce knowledge and new ideas in a way that begins with the simplest and builds to the more complex, including a range of vertical concepts developed over time in a variety of contexts.
Mastery: Reviewing prior knowledge is threaded throughout all units, with concepts and skills revisited, built upon, and developed in new contexts.
Adaptability: All teachers adapt lessons to suit their classes, for example using scaffolding, and assessment in lessons to identify gaps in learning.
Representation: A diverse range of names, images and scientists are used in resources throughout the curriculum so that students from all backgrounds recognise the relevance of science.
Education with character: The science curriculum raises several ethical, culturally significant, or sensitive questions which students will want to explore in ways that go beyond the curriculum. We encourage teachers to respond sensitively to these and use their professional judgement to help students to reflect and have informed opinions on these.
Key Stage 3
In Key Stage 3, we take a year-by-year approach to teaching the curriculum. Each unit has a code, which specifies the year in which it will be assessed in the United Learning end of year exams, the subject, and the unit title e.g., 7PF is Year 7 Physics Forces.
Students are taught for eight hours over two weeks, by two teachers to allow access to specialised teaching, and so that links between the three disciplines (Biology, Chemistry and Physics) can be forged as students make progress through the curriculum. The entire National Curriculum is taught at Key Stage 3 with mid and end of year tests to assess progress. We complete Key Stage 3 by the middle of year 9 and begin GCSE content at this point.
Key Stage 4
As a school, we are committed to providing the challenge of separate Sciences to as many students as we can in a year group. This is with a view to students accessing their choice of local employment, Post 16 providers and university. At Key Stage 4 we teach AQA GCSE Science either as three separate sciences (triple) or as a double award qualification (AQA combined science trilogy), depending on students’ aptitude and enthusiasm for the subject. All students must study Biology, Chemistry and Physics and both routes have six exams in Year 11, two in each science discipline; the double award has less content and shorter examinations.
Useful websites and links
Seneca, our homework platform: https://senecalearning.com
Pearson online revision guides for KS4: https://reviseonline.pearson.com/school/register/?org=united-learning (click ‘sign in with Microsoft’)
Bitesize: https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/secondary
Progression to University and Careers
Studying science at Key Stage 5 opens a huge range of possible degree choices, from aerospace engineering to zoology. You can explore some of these possible careers here:
https://nationalcareers.service.gov.uk/job-categories/science-and-research
Each will require a different transition from Key Stage 5 to degree. The UCAS website (https://www.ucas.com/) is a good source of information on the different destinations for Key Stage 5 scientists.