Our vision for Science at Saint Martin’s is to deliver a knowledge-based science curriculum that allows students to: confidently study any science at A-level, complete a science-based apprenticeship, apply their knowledge of science in a non-related subject or just have a great science knowledge and appreciation in everyday life.
We want to enthuse and excite children’s natural curiosity of the world and the interactions within it. We believe that students should have inquisitive minds and ask, but at the same time learn the skills to ask valid questions, understand how to plan and perform valid investigations and draw conclusions from their results. We want students to understand scientific language and use it to give answers with accuracy and precision.
Our knowledge curriculum is based upon fundamental prerequisites (learning scientific content in a logical order) e.g. to understand digestion in biology requires an understanding of molecules, which requires and understanding about atoms and elements, which requires and understanding about energy.
During their education students will also sharpen their mathematical skills and hone their investigative skills by using specialised practical equipment to: write hypotheses, plan and implement practical experiments, analyse results and draw conclusions.
In Key stage 3, students are taught about energy and forces in physics. Chemistry centres around atoms, compounds and the periodic table, with biology focusing on cells, organs, systems.
In key stage 4 we embark on our GCSE curriculum. The majority of our students will study combined science, which covers biology, chemistry and physics and awards 2 GCSEs. Combined science is a suitable qualification to study any of the sciences at A-level, although providers are typically looking for grade 6-6 or better. Some students in the higher sets will have the opportunity to study triple science, which independently awards 1 GCSE per subject (so three in total). This route is suitable for students that have a high aptitude for science and maths who want to bridge the gap between GCSE and A-level. Again, grade 6 or better is the typical requirement from colleges to access A-level science.
Students will be well-resourced throughout the curriculum with the knowledge-books written by our expert subject specialists. Our books replace the traditional exercise books that students typically recorded notes on. Instead, they are heavily-packed with scientific knowledge, resources and questions. The books focus the lesson time on learning rather than task-driven copying or note-taking. Our students gain significantly more per lesson compared to previous teaching methods. Our books ensure the quality of work taken home is correct and useful to aid further study. We also compliment the knowledge books in years 9, 10 and 11 with exam packs (these are finely tuned sets of exam questions and answers used to support students with revision and expose them to the art of sitting exam questions).
We set regular assessments in each topic, with more synoptic assessments occurring towards the end of each academic year.
KS4 Revision guides – HIGHLY RECOMMEND. We urge all students to purchase a copy of the GCP revision guide by the time they start year 10 (at this stage, students should know if they are taking the higher or foundation tiers, if you are unsure, please contact the school). CGP also have other excellent revision materials to support GCSE revision.
Search for the AQA resources when purchasing for KS4. They also have excellent KS3 resources too.
https://www.cgpbooks.co.uk/
Cognito – suitable for students studying GCSE science. Contains assessments, past exam papers and revision videos.
https://cognitoedu.org/home.html
Seneca – suitable for all students in KS3 and KS4. Contains tutorials, revision materials and assessments
https://senecalearning.com/en-GB/
BBC bitesize – suitable for students studying GCSE science. Contains revision materials and assessments.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/levels/z98jmp3
