KS3 Science

Intent

The principal focus of the KS3 curriculum at Mounts Bay Academy is to deepen and develop students’ understanding from the KS2 curriculum. We want students to become enthusiastic scientists whilst also developing the skills and knowledge they need to be successful.

Implementation

At the heart of the Year 7 and 8 curriculum are 8 themes which help students link key concepts in Science to their application in the real world, and their place in the history of Cornwall (Science at Mounts Bay Academy, Colonising Mars, Old MacDonald had a Farm, Lost at Sea, Man vs Machine, Cornish Mining, Science at West Cornwall Hospital and Science at Home). Each of these are broken down into smaller ideas, which are set in order of increasing complexity and cognitive load. These are then spread throughout the KS3 curriculum in a “spiral” design so that each of the big ideas are revisited throughout the Key Stage, each time building on the knowledge learned previously. Also, key to our curriculum design are explicit links between the different content areas. This helps students to recognise the interlinked nature of the Sciences but also helps to turn good performances by students in the classroom into substantial long-term learning. When students reach Year 9 the curriculum is separated out into distinct Biology, Chemistry and Physics topics (cells, organisation of organisms, photosynthesis and respiration, the periodic table and bonding of atoms, energy, electricity and nuclear radiation) providing a solid foundation for what is to come when students commence their GCSEs. The working scientifically ethos is embedded into the curriculum, with practical work being a fundamental part of every student’s science education, allowing them to develop, and apply, good practice when it comes to analysis, scientific communication, enquiry and problem solving.

Impact

Students in KS3 are working towards the AQA programme of study at GCSE so the curriculum at KS3 is based upon the AQA syllabus too. Not only does this provide a broad and comprehensive programme of study in the sciences, but it makes for a seamless progression to KS4 and allows for a 5 year curriculum that is coherent and has clear links between topics, key stages and the three sciences.

Science

Biology

Intent

Our aims in teaching Biology at MBA are to enthuse and engage students in the living world around them and develop a curiosity and enjoyment of natural phenomena, which will stay with them for the rest of their lives. With our HPL ethos students are encouraged to become the very best Biologists through the acquisition of in-depth knowledge and high level skills with the confidence to apply these in unusual contexts.This provides every pupil with opportunities to make informed decisions and take appropriate actions to ensure their own wellbeing and the wellbeing of others, and the environment. We chose AQA Biology 8461 as it offers a course which is relevant and interesting to teach and learn. We also believe that the Required Practical Activities ensure students think, talk and work like real scientists.

Implementation

Biology is a subject which can often be easily contextualised for example when learning about processes in the human body, or investigating leaves. Dealing with such tangible topics means that learning is highly engaging and relevant to students; when coupled with frequent practical investigations curiosity is
stimulated allowing them to understand challenging concepts and gain skills in a way many enjoy. The interpretation and analysis of these practical observations used to exemplify key processes, allows students to draw conclusions and make predictions testing biological theories. A variety of pedagogical approaches are used as well as technology ensuring learning occurs through a broad spectrum of media. Biology is delivered by subject specialists where possible and distributed throughout the lesson allocations for Science subjects. It is taught as part of an integrated Science curriculum at Key Stage 3 with Year 7 and Year 8 students studying aspects of all 3 Science strands under quadmesterly Topics which are varied. From Year 9 we begin to teach each subject separately, initially 3 times a week in Year 9 and then going on to 5 Science lessons per week in Year 10. All 3 Science strands are spread across Years 9-11 although there is a higher Biology content in Year 10 which is revisited in preparation for the final examinations during Year 11.

Impact

There is evidence that our GCSE Biology curriculum is working as examination results were above the
national average in 2020. Each year a number of students obtain the very top grades (9 or previously A*). The engagement of students in the department can be observed in lessons and the quality of teaching and learning in the department has been praised during learning walks by both external and internal observers.

Staff enjoy a very positive relationship with students throughout the Science subjects and the enjoyment and subsequent engagement in lessons plays a key role to student success.Many students take Biology at post 16 which is another reflection of the positive experiences of students on the course. Students are made aware of the curriculum via the road maps and have a the support of knowledge
organisers and a significant online resource bank through Seesaw and Firefly Apps. Other online resources such as the Tassomai platform have been invested in for students to prepare for examinations.

Chemistry

Intent

At MBA we firmly believe that Chemistry provides the opportunity to develop a broad base of practical skills as well as extensive intellectual agility in order to apply the concepts from theoretical work and connect the observations from practical work.

Some of the Theory is particularly challenging and requires a good working knowledge of mathematical processes stretching students’ numerical challenge and the vocabulary that is accessed through the subject is is equally challenging and affords the opportunity to develop Scientific language and express rationale at a high level.

We choose to follow the AQA Chemistry 8462 syllabus as a relevant accessible and challenging course with engaging required practical activities and a broad subject content to engage students.

Chemistry is recognised as a multifaceted and challenging subject which is well respected when applying for Further and Higher education indicating an ability to process Scientific information in many ways.

Implementation

By studying GCSE Chemistry we will help to students’ understanding of how materials interact and an understanding of the reasons for their properties. Through a thorough grounding in atomic structure and bonding students will be able to learn how to apply principles to explain observations and to link patterns and create hypotheses as to why such patterns exist. Through regular practical work and demonstrations students will be provided with opportunities to stimulate curiosity and be able to make sense of processes in their daily lives. We want students to be able to think analytically to reach logical deductions based on data either provided or collected and make conclusions and progress to predictions based on their outcomes and theories.

At MBA we provide Chemistry delivered by subject specialists where possible and distributed throughout the lesson allocations for Science subjects. Chemistry is taught as part of an integrated Science curriculum at Key Stage 3 with Year 7 and Year 8 students studying aspects of all 3 Science strands under quadmesterly Topics which are varied. From Year 9 we begin to teach each subject separately, initially 3 times a week in Year 9 and then going on to 5 Science lessons per week in Year 10. All 3 Science strands are spread across Years 9-11 although there is a higher Chemistry content in Year 10 which is revisited in preparation for the final examinations during Year 11.

Impact

There is clear evidence that our GCSE Chemistry curriculum is working as examination results are consistently at or above the national average and are consistently positive in the residuals analysis for the academy. Each year a number of students obtain the very top grades (9 or
previously A*). The engagement of students in the department can be observed in lessons and the quality of teaching and learning in the department has been praised during learning walks by both external and internal observers. There is a very positive relationship between staff and students throughout the Science subjects and the enjoyment and subsequent engagement in lessons plays a key role to student success.

There is a good uptake to Science subjects post 16 which is another reflection of the positive experiences of students on these courses.

Students are made aware of the curriculum via the road maps and have a the support of knowledge organisers and a significant online resource bank through Seesaw and Firefly Apps. Other online resources such as the Tassomai platform have been invested in for students to prepare for examinations.

Physics

Intent

The fundamental aim of teaching GCSE Physics at Mounts Bay Academy is to inspire learners to see how the world around them works, from the expanding Universe, to the energy released when an atomic nucleus is split, we challenge students to develop their problem-solving skills so that they can apply their understanding with confidence to unfamiliar situations. These are life skills that can be applied in any field. We support students in developing strong scientific- working skills so they understand how experiments can provide evidence and how to critically evaluate data so they can link this to theory. Physics is both a complex and abstract subject, so students are encouraged to develop their meta-cognition skills, so they can understand their learning, and barriers to learning, in order to influence their own performance and make improved progress. Modelling and nurturing metacognitive strategies is an essential part of our teaching and learning.

Implementation

We work as a strong teaching team, with subject specialists creating Physics lessons that can be accessible to all learners whilst still maintaining challenge and not limiting the level of learning. We achieve this with a 5-year plan using explicit HPL language. Essential Physics concepts are introduced at KS3, alongside topics from Chemistry and Biology so students can see how the sciences can be linked. At KS4, students follow either the AQA Separate Science, or Combined Science courses and study topics such as Energy, Waves, Atomic Structure, Electricity, Electromagnetism, Forces and Space. Our Curriculum at Mounts Bay Academy goes beyond the classroom, with invited speakers from the National Space Academy. We also have links with local Astronomy groups such as Roseland Observational Society and Tolcarne Research and Educational Observatory.

Impact

There is evidence that our GCSE Physics curriculum is working as examination results were above the
national average in 2020. Each year a number of students obtain the very top grades (9 or previously A*). The engagement of students in the department can be observed in lessons and the quality of teaching and learning in the department has been praised during learning walks by both external and internal observers.

Staff enjoy a very positive relationship with students throughout the Science subjects and the enjoyment and subsequent engagement in lessons plays a key role to student success. Many students continue to study Science at post 16 which is another reflection of the positive experiences of students on the course. Students are made aware of the curriculum via the road maps and have the support of knowledge organisers and a significant online resource bank through Seesaw and Firefly Apps. Other online resources such as the Educake platform have been invested in for students to prepare for examinations.

Year 7 Science Curriculum

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Year 8 Science Curriculum

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Year 9 Science Curriculum

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Year 10 Science Curriculum

Combined Science

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Triple Science

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Year 11 Science Curriculum

Combined Science

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Triple Science

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