Science

Intent Statement

At Wardle Academy, using ‘Big Ideas’, we develop a sense of excitement and curiosity around our everyday lives. We learn to challenge what we think we know, discover what we don’t yet know, and develop the knowledge and skills to be able to transform our futures.

Overview

Science provides every student with the understanding of a set of “big ideas” which encourages curiosity, wonder and questioning through: application; the capability to gather and use evidence; scientific attitudes and dispositions. At KS3 students start Year 7 with an introduction to practical science by developing working scientifically skills and are introduced to the fundamentals of the big ideas, building on their previous knowledge.  By Year 8 students are able to build further on these ideas and are learning to work independently and practising a range of revision and retrieval skills.  KS4 starts in Year 9 and prepares students for the GCSE context.  Students continue to build onto the framework of the big ideas and complete the syllabus in Year 11.  Throughout their learning journey there is a focus on literacy and numeracy, wider reading and key scientific vocabulary, leading students to develop an understanding about objects, phenomena, materials and relationships in the natural world, linked to real life context and career opportunities.  

KS3

Students start their science learning journey in Year 7 with an introduction to practical science.  This helps them to develop their “working scientifically” skills, familiarise themselves with the equipment and apply their prior scientific knowledge.  The academic year is split then into 5 learning focus areas each comprising 2 topics: Particles & Forces; Mixtures & Separation; Reproduction & Energy; Atoms + Elements & Sound; and Ecosystems & Light.  Students are given assessments throughout the year following each learning focus area and lessons also include constant knowledge recap. 

Year 8 follows the same format as Year 7 and is splint into 5 learning focus areas with the year beginning with knowledge gained: Atoms + elements & Sound + Light, followed by: Electricity & Acids; Periodic Table & Food; Fluids and Combustion; and Energy transfers & Breathing.  Student assessment encourages independent working, revision, retrieval skills and preparation for longer assessment. 

KS4

Starting in Year 9 students move onto the GCSE content further building on the big idea framework, covering: Cells; Energy – formal calculations and technical drawing with Sankey diagrams; States & Separation – Chromatography Rf calculation; Atomic structure – Isotopes & creation of the Periodic Table; and Motion & Forces – DT graphs/VT graphs & Newton’s Laws. 

Content in Year 10 then moves onto cover: Waves – Refraction & Electromagnetic spectrum; Bonding – ionic/covalent/metallic; Genetics & natural selection; Acids – neutralisation, titrations, and half equations; Health + disease – antibodies, immunity & virus life cycles; and Radioactivity – half-life and alpha/beta/gamma.

In their final year, students complete the GCSE content by covering: Plants – photosynthesis & limiting factors; Homeostasis – control of the bodies internal systems; Exchange + transport – types of respiration & structure/role of heart & blood vessels; Electricity & Electromagnetism; Density – specific heat capacity, gas volume and the spring constant; Electrolysis and extraction of metals; and Rates of reaction – exo/endothermic and bond energies. 

Students continue to be assessed following each topic and are supported through examination practise and technique, while also developing wider reading skills, numeracy and extending their scientific vocabulary.  There is a further focus on career progression and content is linked to real life context.