| Science Department |
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At Bredon School, we aim to show that science is fun! Quite simply, we want children to enjoy the subject. There is always something interesting to see or do, whether it's observing an unusual astronomical event using the school's telescopes or taking a close look at the animals in the school "zoo" housed in one of our laboratories. During term-time youngsters often bring in their pet snakes and rats, which adds to the fun - even if some staff seemed a little nervous recently when one of the (non-venomous) snakes managed to escape for a couple of weeks! Science also features prominently in the school's Curriculum Enhancement Days. Held several times a year, these give pupils the chance to visit places of interest such as London's Science Museum or to get involved in cross-curricular projects around a particular topic, such as the weather. Science is taught as part of the National Curriculum, with even the younger children in Years 3-6 given the chance to familiarise themselves with our laboratories through activities such as Nature Club. Laboratory-based teaching for the three separate sciences (chemistry, biology and physics) begins in earnest at Key Stage 3 (ages 11-14). Children are placed in groups according to their ability, and there is some specialised teacher support for lower-ability pupils. At Key Stage 4, the co-ordinated science offered by the Double Award, Single Award or Entry Level GCSE is taught, while the Rural and Agricultural Science GCSE is a popular option. In the Sixth Form, an Advanced Vocational Certificate of Education (AVCE, or Vocational A level) in Science is being introduced. An applied science module also forms part of the Engineering AVCE (Vocational A level). Post-16 students may opt to take GCSE Astronomy, depending on their other commitments. |