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Science
BackWe want pupils who study Science at Excelsior Academy to understand the opportunities that the working world of Science can offer them. An appreciation of how Science is involved in every aspect of their life and a curiosity as to where Science can take both the planet and our species in the future.
It is of vital importance that to grasp more abstract concepts that pupils must have an unshakeable understanding of the fundamentals and skills that underpin all Science concepts and therefore our curriculum will be built upon this idea of mastering fundamentals at all stages. We will ensure that pupils are fully aware of what these fundamentals are, and they will master these before building upon them.
Pupils will be equipped with the tools to question ideas and theories and will have developed problem-solving skills so that they can suggest methods as to how to investigate these theories that they are able to challenge.
We have organised our curriculum as a continuous learning journey from Year 5 to Year 11, building on the learning of Key Stage 2 and preparing pupils for their future learning and life after Excelsior Academy. The following pages provide additional information about the topics pupils will study in each year and the knowledge and skills that will be introduced and developed at each stage of study.
Subject leader: Michelle.Monaghan@excelsiornewcastle.org.uk
Key Stage 2
Key Stage 3 and 4
Aims of our Key Stage 3 curriculum
Our Science curriculum is derived so that pupils can constantly feel they're building on prior knowledge, they can feel secure in Science fundamentals to help pupils gain confidence and instil a mind-set of curiosity and problem solving. Our spiral curriculum in years 7, 8 & 9 ensures that topics are revisited frequently to allow pupils to retain vital content so that this is built upon in all year groups and not just retaught.
For those subjects that appear as part of the National Curriculum at Key Stage Three, we ensure that all of the relevant strands have been covered in full and any gaps in knowledge have been closed before the students move onto GCSE content. This theme of ensuring fundamentals are consistently secured continues into our transition year of year 9, although pupils do start elements of their GCSE content, this year has a solid focus on mastering and securing Key Concept knowledge which is interleaved throughout the GCSE specification.
Aims of Key Stage 4 curriculum
GCSE study in the sciences provides the foundations for understanding the material world. The first main aim of the KS4 curriculum is to build on content first covered in KS3, consolidating key content and then progressing understanding to a deeper level, in order to prepare students for KS4 linear exams and beyond. The spiralling nature of our curriculum allows for student progress from KS3 understanding to more challenging KS4 levels.
The second main aim for our KS4 curriculum is to continue to embed key practical skills, scientific literacy and numeracy skills by using content as a vehicle to allow students to practice these skills. Most of the skills will have been encountered during KS3 allowing us to increase the challenge level by KS4. We believe that the skill set our students develop will help them to perform confidently not just in science but in other areas too.
In order to meet the diverse needs of all students and to ensure all students leave with a science qualification that matches their ability, we offer 3 different pathways at KS4; Entry Level & Further Entry Level Certificate, Combined Science (Foundation & Higher) and Triple Science.