A high-quality science education provides the foundations for understanding the world through the specific disciplines of biology, chemistry and physics. The New Road Academy curriculum seeks to demonstrate how Science has changed our lives and is vital to the world’s future prosperity, and all students should be taught essential aspects of the knowledge, methods, processes and uses of science. Through building up a body of key foundational knowledge and concepts, students should be encouraged to recognise the power of rational explanation and develop a sense of excitement and curiosity about natural phenomena. They should be encouraged to understand how science can be used to explain what is occurring, predict how things will behave, and analyse causes.
The New Road Academy Science Curriculum aims to ensure that all students:
- Develop scientific knowledge and conceptual understanding through the specific disciplines of biology, chemistry and physics
- Develop understanding of the nature, processes and methods of science through different types of science enquiries that help them to answer scientific questions about the world around them
- Equip students with the scientific knowledge required to understand the uses and implications of science, today and for the future.
The programmes of study describe a sequence of knowledge and concepts. While it is important that students make progress, it is also vitally important that they develop secure understanding of each key block of knowledge and concepts in order to progress to the next stage.
Students should be able to describe associated processes and key characteristics in common language, but they should also be familiar with, and use, technical terminology accurately and precisely. They will build up an extended specialist vocabulary. They will also apply their mathematical knowledge to their understanding of science, including collecting, presenting and analysing data. The social and economic implications of science are important but, generally, they are taught most appropriately within the wider school curriculum however different contexts are incorporate within the curriculum so to maximise students’ engagement with, and motivation to study, science.
Our Science curriculum looks into the nature, processes and methods of science. To encourage understanding we use the “Working Scientifically” model which specifies the understanding of the nature, processes and methods of science for each year group. It is not be taught as a separate strand; although in terms of experimental design we do run an introduction to experimental design and equipment with new year 7 pupils. This model helps students focus on the key features of scientific enquiry, so that students learn to use a variety of approaches to answer relevant scientific questions. These types of scientific enquiry can include: observing over time; pattern seeking; identifying, classifying and grouping; comparative and fair testing (controlled investigations); and researching using secondary sources. Students are encouraged to seek answers to questions through collecting, analysing and presenting data.
In terms of spoken language, oracy and terminology. The curriculum for science reflects the importance of spoken language in students’ development across the whole curriculum – cognitively, socially and linguistically. The quality and variety of language that students hear and speak are key factors in developing their scientific vocabulary and articulating scientific concepts clearly and precisely. They must be assisted in making their thinking clear, both to themselves and others, and teachers should ensure that pupils build secure foundations by using discussion to probe and remedy their misconceptions.
Skills such as Analysis and Evaluation are built into the content and will include: –
- How to apply mathematical concepts and calculate results.
- Presenting observations and data using appropriate methods, including tables and graphs.
- Interpreting observations and data, including identifying patterns and using observations, measurements and data to draw conclusions.
- Presenting reasoned explanations, including explaining data in relation to predictions and hypotheses.
- Evaluating data, showing awareness of potential sources of random and systematic error
- Identifying further questions arising from their results.
- Understanding and using SI units and IUPAC (International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry) chemical nomenclature.
- Using and deriving simple equations and carry out appropriate calculations.
- Data analysis including simple statistical techniques.
