Biology
Science Overview
At Trentham Academy, we believe that all students should have access to a high-quality Science education that provides the foundations for understanding the world around them.
Our ambitious science curriculum promotes learning for understanding for all students of all abilities and aspirations, so that they can investigate and discuss how the natural and man-made world works and the impact and responsibilities we all have. Purposeful practical work is embedded into our curriculum to provide students with insights into the development of scientific thinking. Through practical work, students become increasingly competent in making sense of new information and observations.
Our Science curriculum is committed to ensuring that all students make rapid and sustained progress through ‘quality first’ teaching and aims to develop learners who are both independent and resilient. Through the implementation of a curriculum that both enthrals and engages students, along with the promotion of Scientific careers, educational visits and enrichment opportunities we hope that many students can pursue careers in Science and become the scientists of tomorrow.
At Key stage 3 students cover a broad and balanced curriculum that is delivered in a way that inspires students to develop their key knowledge and practical skills, as well as, focusing on facilitating them to become fluent in the language of Science. At Trentham Academy, we cover all aspects of the national curriculum and ensure that students have a firm grasp of concepts that will underpin their learning journey at Key stage 4. Students are continually assessed throughout and issued with comprehensive, constructive feedback on the progress they make and how to accelerate this further.
In term one of Year 7, students begin by learning, what we believe are the fundamental topics for each discipline; cells, forces and particles. These three topics then provide the basis for the remaining of the topics to be taught. In term 2 students learn about; acids and alkalis, elements, compounds and mixtures, as well as, electricity and magnetism. Finally, in term 3 the focus is on topics that include; Reproduction, Classification and Energy resources.
In Year 8, students build on their prior knowledge gained in Year 7 to extend their learning further. In term 1 this is done through the teaching of the topics; Heating and cooling, the periodic table and atomic structure, as well as, keeping healthy. In term 2 students focus their learning on variation and selective breeding, light and sound, rocks, earth and atmosphere and more body systems. Finally, in their final term of key stage 3 they cover plants, people and the environment, moving around, in addition to, nutrition and digestion. Throughout the key stage 3 curriculum, the development of practical skills and working scientifically is a key priority of the department.
In year 9 our students will begin to study their GCSE’s by either undertaking the new AQA ‘Trilogy’ Combined Science or the AQA Separate Science specifications. Our Combined Science pathway offers opportunities to refine key transferable skills such as further expanding key stage three subject knowledge, logical thinking, application of mathematical skills and the understanding of abstract concepts. The Single Science pathway takes this a step further and allows students to focus on more detail in all three of the Science disciplines. Our aim is to choose the most appropriate pathway for students to ensure maximum progress and success. Regardless of the route chosen, each student will receive high-quality teaching from a subject specialist, with a curriculum that has been design to continue to inspire a love for learning in all students, promote the relevance of Science in their everyday life and help them to identify potential career paths available to them. The curriculum for each discipline is delivered in a spiral format throughout, to allow for spaced practice and the interleaving of prior content, encouraging mastery before moving on to the next topic.
The pathways are outlined below:
AQA Combined Science: Trilogy specification
- Students are still taught the three disciplines, Biology, Chemistry and Physics by a specialist teacher.
- Students will achieve 2 GCSE’s in Combined Science
- Students will sit a total of six written examinations, each lasting 1 hour 15 minutes at the end of Year 11 covering the entire specification, this will account for 100% of their final grade.
- Students will complete several ‘required practical’ tasks throughout the course which will be assessed within the written examinations.
AQA Separate Sciences- Biology, Chemistry, Physics.
- Students are taught the three separate disciplines, Biology, Chemistry and Physics by a specialist teacher but in greater depth.
- Students will achieve 3 separate GCSE’s- 1 GCSE per science discipline.
- Students will sit a total of six written examinations, each lasting 1 hour 45 minutes at the end of Year 11 covering the entire specification for each discipline, this will account for 100% of their final grade.
- Students will complete several ‘required practical’ tasks throughout the course which will be assessed within the written examinations.
Where can Science take me?
Science Department
Mrs Y O’Connor – Subject Leader
Mrs A Cooper – Second in Department
Mr S Hall – Assistant Headteacher
Mrs E Wagg – Assistant Headteacher
Mr B Moss
Mrs J Marriot
