KS3 SCIENCE The aim of the KS3 curriculum is to embed the foundations of the knowledge, understanding and skills required for successful completion of GCSE biology, chemistry and physics whilst ensuring that all of the components of the national curriculum have been carefully delivered. Students work in the following key skill areas, which directly lead to the ‘working scientifically’ areas of the KS4 curriculum: • development of scientific thinking • experimental skills and strategies • analysis and evaluation • scientific vocabulary, quantities, units, symbols and nomenclature Students starting year 7 at BRGS have a wide variety of experiences of science education in KS2. The course starts by developing their ‘working scientifically’ skills to ensure that they can all confidently approach the practical work and have started to develop their thinking skills. The scheme is spiralled in terms of aspects being widened, re-developed with greater depth and complexity each year. Schemes of work articulate the knowledge, understanding and skills that students need and these are stored in the faculty area. Specialist science teachers have developed the schemes and these are evaluated each year to ensure that the focus remains on the skills being developed. Topics are taught in ‘triplets’ of 1 topic in each of biology, chemistry and physics before assessments of the entire triplet. The topics taught build on one another from year 7 into year 8, then leading into the year 9 programmes of study. The course is designed to encourage our pupils to develop an interest in Science, an enquiring mind and the investigative skills necessary to appreciate the role of science in the world. Students will study topics from all 3 sciences in year 7 including: an introduction to science and working scientifically, cells, body systems, ecological relationships, forces, sound, the solar system, light, simple chemical reactions, acids and alkalis. How Parents Can Help In addition to monitoring independent learning, parents can help their child by encouraging him/her to watch informative television programmes. The reading of magazines, newspapers, websites and science-based books as well as visits to museums can all provide added stimuli to promote and develop an enquiring mind. Equipment In addition to their usual stationery students should be equipped with a calculator, ruler, protractor and pair of compasses.
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