Science

Our Key Stage 4 Science curriculum goes above and beyond the National Curriculum.

As well as preparing students for their examinations, we pride ourselves in building student’s cultural capital right the way through their time at Sirius Academy West.

For instance, as well as examined content, students will learn about early nuclear Physics and the prevalence of radiation poisoning. They will understand how our knowledge of forces makes the creation of artificial limbs possible. Our ambition is to stoke all areas of student interest.

Our Key Stage 4 sequence is as follows:

Year 10

• Cell Biology and exchange of substance
• Atomic structure & the Periodic table
• Energy
• Organisation
• Bonding and structure
• Electricity
• Infection and response
• Quantitative Chemistry
• The Particle model
• Bioenergetics
• Chemical changes
• Atomic structure and radioactivity
• Energy changes
• Ecology

Year 11

• Homeostasis and response
• Rates of reaction
• Forces
• Inheritance, variation and evolution
• Organic Chemistry
• Waves
• Chemical analysis
• Chemistry of the atmosphere
• Using resources
• Magnets and electromagnets.

Our primary method of curriculum implementation is through research based, quality first teaching and learning.

The Science team are aware that learning is a change in long term memory.

That’s why all of our team are trained on the effective implementation of Rosenshine’s principles and use these to carefully consider the best way to deliver the curriculum to ensure knowledge is retained in the student’s long term memory.

We routinely check prior knowledge at the start of a lesson, build on this by explaining and modelling key concepts, checking student’s understanding and then allowing them to practice using their new knowledge. Knowledge is then regularly retrieved to ensure that true learning has taken place with teachers then confident and comfortable in re-teaching or re-clarifying material when necessary.

We cater for students with additional needs by ensuring the level of scaffolding is appropriate for all. Guided practice is fully utilised to ensure that the ‘handover’ to students being completely independent in demonstrating their knowledge is appropriate and well judged. ‘Ready to fly’ students will receive less scaffolding than those who require the additional support for longer to ensure a high success rate in their understanding.

The teachers in our team are very proud and privileged to teach Science to our students.

Our lifelong aim is to transfer our enthusiasm for the living world and beyond to our students as we know that their futures, regardless of their chosen career path, will be shaped by their understanding of Science.

We were immensely proud of the first Sirius Academy student to be accepted to study medicine last academic year and we hope that this provides an inspirational pathway for many of our students to continue down a Science based route.

The study of Science prepares our students for a multitude of careers. Some of which are named below:

• Medicine
• Scientific research
• Midwifery
• Engineering
• Biomedical Science
• Teaching and lecturing
• Audiology
• Astronomy
• Food Science
• Forensic Science
• Microbiology
• Seismology
• Veterinary Science