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Science
At Coombeshead Academy we are committed to providing a stimulating, engaging and intellectually challenging learning environment to enable all our students to develop scientific consciousness. We aim to give all children a strong understanding of the world around them whilst acquiring specific skills and knowledge to help them to think scientifically, to gain an understanding of scientific processes and an appreciation of the uses and implications of science-based issues that may affect their own lives, the direction of society and the future.
At Coombeshead scientific enquiry skills are embedded in each topic the pupil’s study and these topics are revisited and developed throughout their time at school. This model allows children to build upon their prior knowledge and increases their enthusiasm for the topics whilst embedding this procedural knowledge into the long-term memory. All children are supported to develop and use a range of skills including observations, planning and investigations, as well as being encouraged to become independent learners in exploring possible answers for their scientific based questions.
We place our main emphasis on developing our pupil’s practical skills at KS3 by following a practical-rich curriculum which introduces skills and builds them up until pupils are confident and able Scientists. Skills introduced at KS3 are embedded at KS4.
Our KS3 curriculum is designed to engage and enthuse our learners whilst building up those important Scientific skills. Some topics covered at KS3 build on knowledge learnt in Primary school, whilst others are new. All of our KS3 topics are designed to introduce pupils to STEM careers and build into the GCSE topics at KS4. Specialist vocabulary for all topics is taught and built throughout the units, and effective questioning to communicate ideas is developed.
Pupils at KS3 are assessed throughout every cycle on both knowledge and practical skills. At KS4, pupils will complete end of topic tests and cumulative assessments throughout the year. At the end of KS4, the course is assessed terminally by AQA and pupils are awarded either GCSE Combined Science (Trilogy) or Separate Sciences in Biology, Chemistry and Physics.
