Intent

The Science faculty at Limes College believes that science is the ultimate explanation for the world in which we live and we wish to transfer our enthusiasm and passion for our subject to our students.

Through our Science curriculum students will develop their depth of knowledge  to master key scientific concepts including the ability to investigate scientific phenomena as well as the ability to analyse and evaluate fact from fiction. Students will develop the skills to distinguish hypothesis from theory and the ability to analyse data and communicate their findings. They will be able to investigate scientific concepts using key scientific terminology. Students will develop high aspirations in science and will be able to demonstrate the resilience to handle difficult ideas.

At Key Stage 3 the curriculum focuses on how science works and addresses embedded misconceptions . A great emphasis is placed on developing independent learning and above all encourage and foster a love of science.

At Key Stage 4  the curriculum focuses on developing the key skills and attributes required to be successful at GCSE.

Implementation

We aim to deliver the highest quality lessons within the science department.  Lessons allow students to develop what we believe is powerful knowledge enabling us to address pre-existing misconceptions and to fully embed ideas so they stick (RETENTION). We use ongoing assessment with interleaving recall and review strategies to respond to students gaps in their knowledge and to ensure that students re-visit content  knowledge before their end of unit assessments.  Through ongoing work and PRACTICALS to develop students’ memory, we aim to build students’ confidence and develop the resilience needed to handle more challenging concepts and ideas. Work is also available online so that students can access any work which they may have missed.

Flexibility is key to the implementation of the Science programme. Pupils are accepted by the provision throughout the year, some with significant gaps in their knowledge, often having missed periods of education. The programme can be individualised with every lesson having achievable objectives and varying in complexity to accommodate all learners. The curriculum has been tailor-made to consider the backgrounds of pupils; previous attitudes towards Science and the varying stages of Scientific knowledge. Pupils will understand that Science is relevant to them and that a greater understanding of the Scientific method will benefit them later in their adult lives.

We also use the AQA KS3 and KS4 specifications to provide continuity for our students.  We ensure that our required practical activities develop students’ investigative skills, and these skills are mapped so students can make gradual progress in their investigative ability as they progress  from KS3 to KS4. Students also have access online to demonstrations of the required practicals.

At KS3 all three Sciences are taught and we follow the AQA curriculum adapted for this level with an end of topic test and any misconceptions revisted.

At KS4 all students study GCSE Biology as well as Entry Level Science simultaneously which ensures that all students achieve a qualification in Science.

At the Limes College any student who demonstrates an aptitude in studying an additional science other than Biology will have the opportunity to do so and will be accommodated via twilight lessons twice a week.

Our approach to assessment encourages students to communicate what they have learnt and how they need to progress. Homework placed in Google classroom allows our students to further plug their knowledge gaps and develop a deeper understanding of science.

Impact

We aim to foster a love for learning science, and aim to have more of our students more curious about the world that we live in and to understand how technology is helping to shape the future and the problems that they may face such as climate change , pollution, mineral shortages.

We aim to build a strong foundation and appreciation for the role that science has in our world and to enable all students to be strong, capable learners of conceptual knowledge and to transfer their skills to learn for life.

We constantly monitor, evaluate and adapt our curriculum through our quality assurance mechanisms to ensure that all of our students get the highest quality of science teaching from and all our students stay committed to a journey of being the best they can be.