Mission
To provide our students with opportunities and experiences to enhance their life choices, making a positive contribution to the world we share.
Intent
One of the most distinct memories of my childhood was staring at a flame and wondering “what is fire actually made of?” It is the intent of the Friesland science department to enthuse students to have an insatiable appetite to understand the mechanics of the world we live in, to look up at the sky in wonder at what is beyond, to look at a grain of sand and try to understand that that “tiny particle” is actually made of millions of incomprehensively smaller particles. At Friesland, we want students to find their “fire” moment.
To facilitate this, we aim to equip our students with excellent subject knowledge from a scheme of learning which tells a five (potentially seven) year story of amazing science. Embedded in this journey are opportunities to collect and analyse data to support or contradict a hypothesis. At Friesland, we do not want our students to simply accept facts. We want them to study the evidence, ask further questions and become strong researchers in their own right. We want students to understand the world didn’t come with a user manual with all of these important facts and values about it, but instead these were discovered through experiments. We want students to understand where this powerful knowledge came from, and how they could play a role in the powerful knowledge of lessons in the future. In addition to this, we will provide students with the tools to communicate their understanding in a way which will prepare them to be successful in future examinations and beyond.
By the end of their education, a student of science at Friesland School will:
- Have excellent science subject knowledge.
- Be able to use their research and analysis skills to challenge ideas.
- Have an everlasting hunger to understand their place in the universe and how it came to be.
Process
Powerful knowledge
- Curriculum: We want students to learn the best that has been thought and said. Our curriculum at key stage three goes well beyond the National Curriculum to include topics which support GCSE science (atomic structure), have a relevance to the world around us (the dangers of vaping), or are just so interesting they had to be included (black holes and other space phenomena). The curriculum is sequenced in a way that new knowledge always builds on existing schemas. We break the mould on traditional schemes of learning which introduce terms and processes which students need to remember but will “learn about” in a later topic. A typical year 7 scheme of work will start with cells which will require students to know that the mitochondria is the site of respiration. At Friesland, before cells, we will teach students about respiration which is a chemical reaction, so before respiration we teach chemical reactions, and before that we teach them about different types of matter. Our scheme of learning looks at each individual topic and asks, “what do students need to know before this?” and the content is sequenced accordingly. This reduces cognitive load and makes new information easier to remember.
- Quality first teaching: Our team of committed and enthusiastic scientists are committed to ensuring powerful knowledge is transmitted effectively. Through regular assessment for learning, students will be tested on their understanding and provided with opportunity to demonstrate their understanding with frequent and thorough in class questioning.
- Assessment and feedback: The EEF says that feedback should move learning forward. We articulate the purpose of each assessment as an opportunity to inform what was taught well, where gaps in knowledge have occurred, or which skills students require extra support in mastering. Feedback is provided with modelling of correct answers and celebrating the successes. We look at areas where students have been less successful and make modifications to existing schemes of learning, provide personalised home learning tasks and check the effectiveness of this intervention by setting similar questions as part of the “do now” phase of the Friesland lesson.
The science curriculum contributes to the personal development of students at Friesland School
Opportunities are built in to make links to the world of work to enhance the careers, advice and guidance that students are exposed to:
- The content of the science curriculum contains powerful knowledge to help students on the own personal journeys. The knowledge students acquire about communicable diseases, medicinal and recreational drugs and the importance of different food groups in a balanced diet empowers students to make positive life choices beyond their time at Friesland.
- The science curriculum provides context to everyday dilemmas. Students are encouraged to think about economical, environmental and ethical implications of real life decisions like “which washing machine should I buy?” “why is it important to not carry unnecessary weight in your car?” and “which colour clothes will keep me warm in winter and cooler in the summer?”.
- The curriculum looks to the future to inform students about the ways in which the world may be different in regards to global energy resources and the Earth’s finite and replenishable resources. This will allow our students to make suitable life choices about their carbon footprint, and areas of growth in terms of employment in the future.
- There are ample opportunities to discuss the ethics involved in science. This gives a space where students can listen to the opinions of others from a variety of backgrounds and circumstance to inform their own stances on matters such as stem cell research and the use of nuclear power. Students are encouraged to use an array of opinions to provide balanced arguments to come to their own conclusion.
Year Plans
Implementation
Pupils learning journey in science at Friesland begins in key stage 3. Our spiralised sequence of the key stage 3 curriculum ensures that there is clear progression of the powerful knowledge pupils will acquire which enables pupils to develop a strong understanding of scientific concepts. This progressive journey through our key stage 3 curriculum ensures that concepts within science are continually interleaved and revisited which strengthens pupil’s memory retrieval and for pupils to make connections between the big ideas within science. The big ideas pupils explore are:
- All matter in the Universe is made of very small particles
- Objects can affect other objects at a distance
- Changing the movement of an object requires a net force to be acting on it
- The total amount of energy in the universe is always the same but can be transferred from one energy store to another during an event
- The composition of the earth and its atmosphere, and the processes occurring within them, shape the earth’s surface and its climate
- Our solar system is a very small part of one of billions of galaxies in the universe
- Organisms are organised on a cellular basis and have a finite life span
- Organisms require a supply of energy and materials for which they often depend on, or compete with, other organisms
- Genetic information is passed down from one generation of organisms to another
- The diversity of organisms, living and extinct, is the result of evolution
Our medium-term plans in key stage 3 make strong links to the knowledge and understanding pupils would have acquired at key stage 2 to build on this and extend pupils understanding further. Diagnostic questions in our Year 7 curriculum effectively establish individual pupils starting points and their preconceptions in science so that these can be built upon. Each medium-term plan plans outlines the rationale for our sequencing to explain how the scientific concepts link to prior and delivered future learning.
Throughout our key stage 3 curriculum opportunities are built in to make links to the world of work to enhance the careers and the applications of science locally and globally. Each of our key stage 3 classes are named by scientists who have made contributions towards understanding the world around us and reflect the diverse scientific community:
- Marie M Daly
- Min Chueh Chang
- Henrietta Swan Leavitt
- Sir David Attenborough
- James Clerk Maxwell
- Marie Curie
- Martyn Poliakoff
- Rosalind Franklin
100% sheets
Our year 7 science curriculum embeds the use of the 100% sheets which act as an effective tool in supporting pupils to acquire the powerful knowledge. The 100% sheets support pupils to have a solid foundation in their scientific knowledge to enable pupils to develop a strong understanding, as well as the connections between and application of complex scientific concepts.
Investigative Science Skills
The development of pupils’ scientific investigative skills is progressive in the curriculum journey at Friesland. The skills are mapped across the two years to ensure comprehensive coverage which enables pupils to master the skills with confidence. At the start of key stage, Year 7 learn to name and identify different pieces of scientific equipment. This progresses onto being able to use equipment to take measurements whereas further along in the curriculum pupils have to justify why they have selected pieces of equipment based up on accuracy of the measurements which can be made.
Literacy
The development of pupil’s literacy is an integral part of our curriculum in enabling pupils to articulate their understanding of the scientific concepts confidently. The 100% sheets in the year 7 curriculum support pupils to have a strong understanding of the tier 3 vocabulary and act as a scaffold for pupils to utilise these words when explaining their scientific ideas. Alongside this, there is the explicit delivery of the tier 3 vocabulary with strategies like dual coding and the use of the Frayer model.
Maths skills
Cross curricular links within maths ensure that the skills pupils learn in maths are consistent with those techniques learnt in science. This supports pupil’s confidence and reduces cognitive overload, for instance, pupils learn the techniques of how to re-arrange a calculation rather then re-calling the calculation triangle.
Formative Assessment
Formative assessment is integral part of our curriculum to assess pupils’ levels of knowledge recall and understanding of scientific concepts. Regular retrieval challenge quizzes throughout the curriculum are effective in assessing the strengths of pupil’s memory recall of the powerful knowledge and for us to be responsive to pupils learning as gaps in knowledge are revisited and further practice is given. Big questions assess pupils’ levels of understanding of the scientific concepts and the links between them. The interleaving of the scientific concepts in the big questions support pupils active recall of knowledge from prior learning as well as encouraging pupils to apply the concepts being assessed. The big questions act as a tool in identifying misconceptions and gaps in knowledge which enable us to respond by pupils revisiting and relearning concepts followed by further practice.
Formative practical assessments allow pupils to demonstrate their progress in the scientific investigative skill in the areas which they have developed at that point in the curriculum. These assessments encourage pupils to think critically as a scientist by designing an investigation to test a hypothesis, collecting and analysing data to make valid conclusions.
The skills pupils have mastered are identified through the use of these assessments as well as the areas which pupils need to strengthen along their journey through our curriculum.
Summative Assessment
There are 3 summative assessments points for each year at key stage 3. These take in form of cumulative synoptic tests which measure the progress pupils have made over time. The data from these summative tests are analysed at the individual question level to inform us how well pupils can recall and apply the powerful knowledge and scientific concepts. From this analysis the curriculum can be tailored to support pupils learning journey through focused GAP style lessons whether it be whole cohort or key pupils.
Data from summative assessments are continually reviewed and evaluated to assess the impact of our curriculum has on pupils learning journey. The information is acted on to decide which areas of the curriculum and pedagogical practices to support delivery can be strengthened.
Pupils learning journey at key stage 4 begins in science at Year 9. Our key stage 4 curriculum builds upon the knowledge and understanding pupils have acquired at key stage 3 and extends this further. The scientific concepts in biology, chemistry and physics at key stage 4 have been carefully sequenced to ensure there is logical progression to the powerful knowledge pupils will acquire, to enable pupils to develop a strong understanding of scientific concepts. Our spiralised key stage 4 curriculum ensures that concepts within science learnt in year 9 are interleaved and revisited in year 10 and 11 but at greater depth and detail. This supports pupil’s memory retrieval and their confidence in being able to apply their understanding to a range of different contexts.
Exam board
Pupils study towards the AQA specification. Most pupils study towards the AQA Combined Science: Trilogy GCSE course apart from a selection of students in each year group 10-11 who study the AQA single science GCSEs in Biology, Chemistry and Physics.
Investigative Science Skills
The development of pupils’ scientific investigative skills builds upon those which pupils have acquired at key stage 3. As part of the AQA specification pupils complete required practical’s which are mapped to specific scientific concepts outlined in the AQA specification.
The required practical’s allow pupils to demonstrate the progress in their scientific investigative skill in the areas which they have developed at that point in the curriculum. The required practical’s encourage pupils to think critically as a scientist by designing an investigation to test a hypothesis, collecting and analysing data to make valid conclusions.
The completion of required practical’s indicates the skills pupils have mastered the skill, and identifies the areas which pupils need to strengthen which can be tailored to pupils along their journey through our key stage 4 curriculum.
Literacy
The development of pupil’s literacy is an integral part of our curriculum in enabling pupils to articulate their understanding of the scientific concepts confidently and become scientifically literate. There is explicit delivery of the tier 3 vocabulary with strategies like dual coding and the use of the Frayer model. Pupils are frequently assessed in their memory recall of the tier 3 words through the use of Do Now activities and the retrieval challenge quizzes.
In preparing pupils for examinations there is greater emphasis at key stage 4 on developing pupils’ skills on comprehension and how to answer questions successfully. Pupils develop the skills on how to answer questions depending on the command word and structure longer extended responses when explaining their scientific ideas.
Maths skills
Cross curricular links within maths ensure that the skills pupils learn in maths are consistent with those techniques learnt in science. This supports pupil’s confidence and reduces cognitive overload, for instance, pupils learn the techniques of how to re-arrange a calculation rather then re-calling the calculation triangle.
Formative Assessment
Formative assessment is an integral part of our curriculum to assess pupils’ levels of knowledge recall and understanding of scientific concepts. Regular retrieval challenge quizzes throughout the curriculum are effective in assessing the strengths of pupil’s memory recall of the powerful knowledge and for us to be responsive to pupils learning as gaps in knowledge are revisited and further practice is given. Big questions assess pupils’ levels of understanding of the scientific concepts and the links between them. The interleaving of the scientific concepts in the big questions support pupils active recall of knowledge from prior learning as well as encouraging pupils to apply the concepts being assessed. The big questions act as a tool in identifying misconceptions and gaps in knowledge which enable us to respond by pupils revisiting and relearning concepts followed by further practice. In year 11, formative assessment takes place in the form are more frequent exam practice. This is to ensure pupils are gain exam technique skills and apply what they have learnt in being able to answer questions successfully.
Summative Assessment
There are 3 summative assessments points for each year at key stage 4. These take in form of cumulative synoptic tests/global papers using past paper questions from AQA exam pro, which are used to measure the progress pupils have made over time. The data from these summative tests are analysed at the individual question level to inform us how well pupils can recall and apply the powerful knowledge and scientific concepts. From this analysis, the curriculum can be tailored to support pupils learning journey through focused GAP style lessons whether it be whole cohort or key pupils.
Data from summative assessments are continually reviewed and evaluated to assess the impact of our curriculum has on pupils learning journey. The information is acted on to decide which areas of the curriculum and pedagogical practices to support delivery can be strengthened.
At key stage 5 we offer the opportunity for students to explore the big ideas within science in biology, chemistry and physics and greater breadth and depth. Pupils acquire the skills to become independent, critical thinkers in order to apply their scientific concepts in a wide range of contexts.
Pupils study towards the OCR specification in A-level Biology, Chemistry and Physics.
