| Welcome to Science |
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Welcome to Science
Teachers provide pupils with practical demonstrations, as well as providing numerous opportunities for pupils carry out their own experiments, features which are central to the teaching ethos of the department. This provides an effective means of introducing new skills and techniques whilst generating confidence in the students.
The Science Faculty Team: Miss Mistry (Head of Faculty) Mr Sothinathan (Head of Faculty) Ms Arobaga (AST Science) Mr Lam (Science Teacher) Ms Osei (Science Teacher) Mrs Zammit (Science Teacher and SENCO) Mr McCaughan (Science Teacher and Assistant Head) Mr A Brady (Senior Lab Technician) Mrs Lochee (Lab Technician) Keystage 4 The Science department is currently following the Edexcel Science Suite of GCSE Courses. Overview: As Science is a ‘core’ subject all students will continue to study it in Year 10 and 11. The majority of pupils will gain 2 GCSE’s for Science.
The most able students in Year 10 will be selected to follow the Triple Science course. Students who are selected to study Triple Science in year 10 will gain 3 GCSE’s for Science. The lessons will be fast paced and challenging in order to cover 3 GCSE’s worth of content in the time of 2 GCSEs.
We are following the Edexcel GCSE Science 2011 specification which can be found here: Course Content
GCSE Core Science Unit B1: Influences on life
Unit C1: Chemistry in our world
Unit P1: Universal physics
Unit B2: The components of life
Unit C2: Discovering chemistry
Unit P2: Physics for your future
GCSE Extension Science (Triple Science Students)
Unit C3: Chemistry in Action
Unit P3: Applications of Physics
Unit B3: Using Biology
How is each GCSE examined and assessed?
Each GCSE consists of a Biology, Chemistry and Physics unit (which is externally assessed) and an internally assessed Controlled Assessment. Each component is worth 25%. The table below summarises the components of each GCSE.
All courses are modular, therefore examinations for Science take place three times each year, in November, March and June, with the marks for each accumulating to give the final GCSE grade. There is no terminal exam for Science. BTEC Applied ScienceBTEC Applied Science will be offered by the Science Faculty to support pupils who may struggle to follow the GCSE Science courses. BTEC Applied Science will involve completing a series of assignments to create a portfolio of work. There are no formal examinations. Key Stage 3 Course overview We have recently invested in a new suite of resources to ensure pupils are kept up to date with the latest developments in the curriculum, and build a better understanding of "How Science Works". Key Stage 3 consists of the following units: Year 7
Year 8
Year 9
Resources |
The Pure and Applied Science Faculty at St. Michael's aims to provide pupils with an enjoyable and meaningful Science curriculum set within an environment that encourages and gives multiple opportunities for pupils to demonstrate and enhance their skills, knowledge and understanding.
There is a balance in the content of the courses: there is plenty of coverage of important scientific background and theories. Also, there are opportunities for students to look at how scientific knowledge is used and applied in the modern world, for example to develop better strains of crops, to produce better materials for construction and to use in medicine to make CAT scanners. Science has always addressed many “big issues” and students will also look at key issues that they will face in the coming years, whether global warming, the use of nuclear power, or the development of cloned or genetically modified organisms. The philosophy of the course is to develop young adults who have the scientific background to understand these issues as well as to engage with them.
