Sciences

The department consists of eight full time and one part time members of staff. We have two Biology, two Chemistry and two Physics specialists and two full time technicians servicing six laboratories. There is a good balance of specialists within the department that leads to greater consistency of performance within subjects. We deliver a full curriculum of Key Stage 3 and Key Stage 4 lessons, with Science groups set from year 8 onwards. At G.C.S.E level we offer Single and Double Science both with excellent Pass rates.

The Science department is forward looking one, in September 2006 we introduced the Catalyst scheme at Key Stage 3 and embraced the Key Stage 3 Strategy within the department. In 2006 we installed sixteen computers for use by students within the department.

Topics Taught in Key Stage 3

Year 7 (4 Periods per Week) Cells & reproduction Feeding Solids, Liquids & Gases Acids, Alkalis, Chemical Reactions Energy & Electricity Forces & the Solar System Variation & Classification Solutions Year 8 (4 Periods per Week) Food & Digestion Microbes & Disease Atoms & Elements Rocks & Weathering Heating & Cooling Light Respiration Ecological Relationships Compounds & mixtures Rock Cycle Magnets & Electromagnets Sound & Hearing Year 9 (6 Periods per Week) Inheritance & Selection: Plants & Photosynthesis: Reactions of metals & metal compounds: Environmental chemistry: Energy & Electricity: Speeding up: Fit & Healthy Plants for food Patterns of reactivity & mixtures Using chemistry Gravity & Space Pressure