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Welcome to the Science Department.
The Science department encourages an active attitude to learning, and lessons have a strong, hands on approach where appropriate. Throughout their time at Dormston, pupils will cover a variety of units across the three Science disciplines, and will develop skills such as measuring accurately, designing scientific investigations and exploring how to work safely within the lab.
Within Science we operate a spiral curriculum which allows pupils to build on past knowledge starting from Year 7 to ensure pupils can master concepts at GCSE while continually stretching and challenging all pupils.
The Science department is made up of 10 specialist teachers, and we are supported by three Science Technicians. We have eight fully equipped labs, and an ICT room where pupils can access a wide range of resources including our VLE.
Science Department Staff
Miss Emma Ward – Head of Science
Mr Simon Carroll – Science Teacher
Mrs Georgina Howard – Assistant Head Teacher – Science Teacher
Mr Wayne Jones – Pupil Premium & Engagement Co-ordinator for Science
Mrs Emma Checkley – Key Stage 3 Co-ordinator
Mr Mohammed Chowdhury – Science Teacher
Mrs Katerina Pajaj – Science Teacher
Miss Coral Beechey – Science Teacher
Mr Mark Wilkinson – Science Teacher
Mrs Sharon Hickman – Senior Science Technician
Mrs Geraldine Fletcher – Science & Technology Technician
Pupils in Year 7 and 8 cover 10 Big Ideas from the AQA KS3 specification that provide them with lots of opportunities to develop practical skills and knowledge to succeed at GCSE. Topics are put into real life context as much as possible to allow pupils to see the importance of science in the world around them. Homework is based on retrieval content and deeper learning tasks. Pupils complete an exam-style assessment each term covering a selection of topics up to that point. An end of year exam for all pupils also takes place in June to track progress, and inform setting for the following school year.
Extra-curricular opportunities include STEM club, which allows pupils to carry out fun and engaging practical tasks and KS3 revision club, which helps pupils to boost their attainment levels.
Autumn 1 | Bridging Course & Baseline Assessment Forces – Speed & Gravity | Organisms – Movement & Cells |
Autumn 2 | Matter – Particle Model & Separating Mixtures | Electromagnets – Potential Difference & Current |
Spring 1 | Ecosystems – Interdependence & Plant Reproduction | Reactions – Acids and Alkalis & Metals and Non-Metals |
Spring 2 | Energy – Energy Costs & Energy Transfer | Earth – Earth Structure & Universe |
Summer 1 | Waves – Sound & Light | Genes – Variation & Human Reproduction |
Summer 2 | Revision, End of Year Assessment & Application-Based Learning | |
Autumn 1 | Forces – Contact Forces & Pressure | Organisms – Breathing & Digestive System |
Autumn 2 | Matter – Periodic Table & Elements | Electromagnets – Electromagnets & Magnetism |
Spring 1 | Ecosystems – Respiration & Photosynthesis | Reactions – Types of Reaction & Chemical Energy |
Spring 2 | Energy – Work & Heating and Cooling | Earth – Climate & Earth’s Resources |
Summer 1 | Waves – Wave Effects & Wave Properties | Genes – Evolution & Inheritance |
Summer 2 | Revision, End of Year Assessment & Application-Based Learning | |
Revision guides and workbooks are available to purchase via ParentPay to support the teaching of this course, priced at £2.60 for the revision guide, and £5.00 for the accompanying workbook.
KS4
Our GCSE Science courses start in Year 9, with all pupils completing either AQA GCSE Combined Science Trilogy, or Separate Science (Biology, Chemistry and Physics) qualifications. Within every topic, students will answer exam questions in lessons and will build upon and link back to prior knowledge. Students will be assessed through termly assessments which will cover cumulative content from the beginning of the course. In year 9 & 10, end of year exams will take place in June to monitor and track progress.
Year 11 pupils follow the same courses, but will have two sets of mock exams to allow for identification of areas of weakness in order to prepare for the final exams which start in May each year.
Revision guides are available to purchase from the school for all courses. AQA Combined Science Trilogy revision guides and workbooks are both priced at £5.60 each, and Triple Science Revision guides & workbooks are £3.00 each. Triple Science pupils will require the revision guide and workbook for each discipline, bring the total cost to £18.00 for the full set.
Autumn 1 | B1 Cells | C1 Atomic Structure & the Periodic Table |
Autumn 2 | P1 Energy | B2 Organisation |
Spring 1 | C2 Structure, Bonding & the Properties of Matter | P3 Particle Model of Matter |
Spring 2 | B3 Infection & Response | C9 Chemistry of the Atmosphere |
Summer 1 | B4 Bioenergetics | P4 Atomic Structure |
Summer 2 | Revision, End of Year Assessment & Application-Based Learning | |
Autumn 1 | Recap of Prior Learning | P2 Electricity |
Autumn 2 | C3 Quantitative Chemistry | B5 Homeostasis & Response |
Spring 1 | C4 Chemical Changes | C5 Energy Changes |
Spring 2 | C7 Organic Chemistry | P5 Forces |
Summer 1 | B7 Ecology | C6 The Rate & Extent of Chemical Change |
Summer 2 | Revision, End of Year Assessment & Application-Based Learning | |
Year 10 Separate Science students are taught by three subject specialists.
| Biology | Chemistry | Physics |
Autumn | Recap of Prior Learning B5 Homeostasis & Response | Recap of Prior Learning C3 Quantitative Chemistry C5 Energy Changes | Recap of Prior Learning P2 Electricity |
Spring | B7 Ecology | C4 Chemical Changes C6 The Rate & Extent of Chemical Change | P3 Particle Model of Matter |
Summer 1 | Revision | C7 Organic Chemistry | Revision |
Summer 2 | Revision, End of Year Assessment & Application-Based Learning | ||
Autumn 1 | Recap of Prior Learning | P6 Waves |
Autumn 2 | B6 Inheritance, Variation & Evolution | C8 Chemical Analysis |
Spring 1 | P7 Magnetism & Electromagnetism | C10 Using Resources |
Spring 2 | Revision & GCSE Exams | |
Summer 1 | ||
Summer 2 | ||
Year 11 Separate Science students are taught by two subject specialists.
| Biology | Chemistry | Physics |
Autumn | B6 Inheritance, Variation & Evolution | C8 Chemical Analysis C10 Using Resources | P6 Waves P7 Magnetism & Electromagnetism |
Spring | Revision | P8 Space Physics | |
Summer 1 | Revision | Revision | Revision |
How we assess
At Key Stage 3, pupils sit termly assessments which covers the content taught that term and in later terms brings in previous learning to ensure retention. We assess whether pupils have a good grasp of scientific knowledge, can apply their knowledge, and whether they are beginning to extend their understanding. This allows us a good understanding of where pupils are at when they start GCSE.
In Years 9 and 10, pupils sit termly assessments using exam questions which cover the content taught up to that point. Using exam questions also allows pupils to begin to build exam technique. These will be used to help decide tiers of entry in Year 11.
For Separate Science pupils they will sit short termly assessments in each Science so they understand their own areas of strength and weakness.
In Year 11, pupils sit two mock examinations, sitting the Paper 1 exams in each science in December followed by Paper 2 exams in March. This allows us to give an overall grade in Science having completed the whole course.
Subject specific websites to support independent learning and revision
Trips & Visits
As a department, we have run a number of successful trips including visits to The Big Bang Fair, The Black Country Living Museum, Birmingham Airport, The Beyond Stereotypes: Girls in STEM day & Alton Towers to name just a few. We want to give our students as many opportunities as possible to provide them with a range of skills and experiences they can carry with them for the rest of their lives.
Knowledge Organisers