Science

Science

“Somewhere, something incredible is waiting to be known”  Carl Sagan 

In Science, our vision is to provide students with an ambitious and challenging curriculum that equips all with the knowledge, skills and cultural capital they need to succeed in life and a depth of understanding that will enable them to pursue science beyond key stage 4. 

We aim for each child to develop a natural curiosity and passion for science through practical work, scientific enquiry and a range of enrichment activities. We encourage students to be inspired, motivated and challenged by the subject and its achievements. 

 

Our Ambition

Science isn’t only about new inventions, new technology and new medicines. Science is important because it satisfies our curiosity about the world we live in. It is the best way we know of to banish ignorance with knowledge. Nearly every aspect of human life has been changed by science: health, food, and war to name a few. Without science, there would be no computers, no internet, and you certainly wouldn’t be reading this! 

The Science department at Alder believe that every student has the right to gain an understanding of the importance of science and its relevance to their lives. We regard it as a privilege to be able to share our passion for science with our students.  Our ambition is to enthuse students to have a love of learning whilst developing their deeper understanding of the world around us!

 

Our Curriculum 

Our curriculum follows the Science National curriculum programme of study but is constructed through the identification of key threshold concepts. A threshold concept is a pivotal idea that once students can master, they will gain a transformed view or understanding which can be built upon for future learning.  

The threshold concepts we have identified in science are: 

Biology	Chemistry	Physics
Cells and the cell cycle	Particle model	Electricity
Enzymes	Atoms, Elements, Compounds, Mixtures	Opposites attract
The genome	General Equations	Energy
Transport and exchange surfaces	Atomic Structure	Motion
Natural Selection	Periodic Table	Forces
Disease and immunity	Energy in chemical reactions	The model of the atom
Respiration	Opposites attract	Particle model
Photosynthesis	Mass and Moles	Light
Homeostasis	Collision Theory	Sound
Ecology

 

 

Science Curriculum at KS3

 

Science Curriculum at KS4 Curriculum

We offer  two different GCSE pathways for our students, enabling us to provide every student with an option which is appropriate to their ability and aspirations.  

Students must study science at GCSE so will be enrolled onto Combined Science course however students have the option to select the Triple science GCSE course if they would like to study science at a greater depth. We follow the Edexcel GCSE course therefore the content taught follows the exam specification however our curriculum is continually designed on the mastery of threshold concepts and builds upon knowledge from KS3. 

 

Independent Learning

Science is a vast subject, so it is important students are learning beyond the classroom. Students need to be revisiting key knowledge through revision and retrieval. It is also recommended students engage with further reading to support their learning process. The documents below detail for each Key Stage how you can support your child at home to further their understanding and appreciation of science.  

Science Team