Science

Welcome to the Science Subject area at Harris Academy Bermondsey. Your daughter's future is important to you and important to us. With our experienced staff, students have the best possible support for learning science at our Academy. We aim to provide excellent teaching through engaging, challenging and inspiring lessons in our well resourced laboratories and excellent interactive ICT software. There will also be various school trips and clubs, which students can participate in to support their academic and vocational development.

Staff

Mr. Sean Doherty - Subject Leader

Mrs. Fibi Banwo – i/c Key Stage 3 / teaching and learning

Mr. Keith Isaacs - i/c of BTEC / Data

Ms. Margareth Ruano Hernandez

Ms. Victoria Isaac

Mr. Amadu Koroma

Mr. Mervin Murphy

Mr Mark Christopoulos

All the above have email address: firstname.surname@harrisbermondsey.org.uk.

(e.g. keith.isaacs@harrisbermondsey.org.uk)

Key Stage 3 (KS3)

Science is a very diverse and exciting subject and as such is an integral part of our Key Stage 3 Strategy for strengthening standards in student’s early years of secondary education. It gives students the opportunity to explore the world around them and understand so many things that have much relevance to daily life. With our excellent schemes of work, we explain and illustrate the ideas underlying the National Curriculum programme of study.

All year 7 students will be offered the accelerated KS3 programme of study. We place emphasis on independent learning throughout the four key units in Science:

· Energy, Electricity & Forces

· Chemical and material behaviour

· Organisms behaviour and health

· The environment, Earth and universe

At Key Stage 3, students are assessed both by teacher judgements using APP (Assessing Pupil Progress) and formal examinations. APP improves the validity and reliability of teachers' assessment. It has proved to be robust, manageable and effective in practice as its assessment focuses (AFs) underpin the National Curriculum in the following areas:

· AF1 – Thinking Scientifically

· AF2 – Understanding the applications and implications of Science

· AF3 – Communicating and collaborating in Science

· AF4 – Understanding investigative approaches

· AF5 – Working critically with evidence

Key Stage 3 culminates with the QCDA’s optional tests at the end of year 8. In year 9 Students will be able to progress to a KS4 programme of study. Their KS4 programme of study will be dependent on their KS2&3 point score.

For a more comprehensive outline of KS3 units follow the link:

http://curriculum.qcda.gov.uk/uploads/QCA-07-3344-p_Science_KS3_tcm8-413.pdf

Key Stage 4 (KS4)

Our Academy's flexible and challenging KS4 Science curriculum caters for the development of the individual student and provides the opportunity for students to maximise their level of attainment.

We offer the following courses:

GCSE Science A (Core) – Year 10 only

The course features many of the major theories of science, presented in a way that will encourage young people to appreciate their significance. Students explore the key science explanations which help them to make sense of their lives. The course also helps students develop their questioning, analytical and evaluative skills alongside core practical skills. GCSE Science specification contains topics that cover Biology, Chemistry and Physics.

Exam board: AQA

GCSE Additional Science – Year 11 only

GCSE Additional Science builds on the knowledge and understanding that students have gained from GCSE Science. Together, they allow students to progress onto the individual GCE Biology, GCE Chemistry and GCE Physics qualifications and onto higher education.

Exam board: OCR

GCSE Separate Sciences (Triple) – Years 10 and 11

Biology, GCSE Chemistry and GCSE Physics are single GCSE awards and, when taken altogether, they cover the Key Stage 4 Programme of Study for Science. Each award comprises the relevant content from GCSE Science and GCSE Additional Science plus specialist extension units for that subject.

Exam boards: AQA (Y10) and OCR (Y11)

Edexcel BTEC in Applied Science – Years 10 and 11

(Certificates, Extended Certificates and Diplomas)

The BTEC Certificate, Extended Certificate and Diplomas are vocationally related qualifications and have been developed to focus on developing the knowledge, understanding and skills of learners in a work-related programme, where the methods of delivery and assessment will be assignment driven and have a practical investigative approach to reflect the needs of employers and the future career path of the learner.

Exam board: Edexcel

Exam Boards

For a more comprehensive outline of these courses you may follow the links below:

AQA http://www.sciencelab.org.uk/

Edexcel: http://www.edexcel.com/quals/firsts10/appsci/Pages/default.aspx

OCR: http://www.ocr.org.uk/qualifications/subjects/science/index.html