Science
At Lutterworth College all students study the three main fields of science: biology, chemistry and physics following the ‘10 big ideas’ in Science. We believe that students should know the prerequisites for any science subject in order to learn more complex subjects, for example, students study atoms and molecules in year 7, not particles. Students in year 8 know the differences between atoms and ions before they study the pH scale in year 10.
We also promote alignment of the curriculum and assessment, (similar to the structure in maths) promoting professional continued learning, ‘daring to be wise’, unity and deeper expertise of subject content and minimising the duplication of teacher workload so that through our common endeavour the whole will be greater than the sum of its parts.
We work alongside our Church of England CHRIST values to enrich how our students experience Science, preparing them for a life outside of education. Students are able to demonstrate these values at various points in the curriculum in the following ways:
- Being Courageous in the way they learn new Scientific concepts and demonstrate their knowledge and understanding in answering questions orally or in writing – Scientific literacy is a key aim of ours and we want our students to be able to confidently express themselves verbally and in writing. Our future citizens need to be courageous to defend what they know using critical thinking and informed opinion to shape the future of their communities;
- Being Hard working in the way they work towards mastery of the scientific concepts, having attention to detail when performing experiments , plotting graphs of data and the precision in which they use scientific knowledge and understanding to answer questions and recall Scientific facts;
- Being Reflective in self-assessment and their Directed Improvement Reflection Time (DIRT) activities – A key aspect of our assessment philosophy is to know ‘What’ you have learned, ‘Why’ you have learned it and the metacognition for some of our brightest students of ‘How’ they have learned it;
- Being Inspirational in the quality of their work that showcases their effort and support for other students in overcoming obstacles to learning and understanding – leaning is a co-operative enterprise; some of our students may help teach others or be role models in the quality of their work and the way that they study;
- Being Supportive in sharing their thoughts, feelings and ideas around the topics and concepts we explore in science – Science is not easy but we must all share in the journey to ensure we can ‘Dare to be Wise’;
- Being Tenacious in their exploration of the ten ‘Big Ideas’ in Science and challenging their misconceptions and bias, deepening their understanding and never accepting second less than their best of themselves and each other.
Key Stage 3 and 4
Our science team are proud of the 5-year KS3/KS4 curriculum entitlement for all students that we are developing; which divides the content into units but is experienced coherently during their time at school. Each unit is carefully prepared to balance the powerful knowledge (fundamental or ‘foundational’ knowledge that is important to learn) with relevant examples and introduce it in a systematic way, which builds and reinforces cumulatively over time; this secures the fundamentals of science in a logical manner to allow students to access a much higher level of subject knowledge towards the final stages of school.
Key Stage 3 & 4 Science Curriculum Map
Scientific Literacy
During the course, our students will focus on retaining the basic knowledge of each subject. Intertwined in the knowledge-focused lessons will be the development of key scientific, mathematical and literacy skills, as well as exposure to practical experiments to improve precision of readings, accuracy of measurements, processing of data, drawing conclusions and analysis of results.
At Lutterworth College we are teaching them the skills to investigate, analyse and explore the world that we are living helping students to distinguish fact to fiction when they approach news stories, being able to critically interpret and compare information from the media. We also promote the excitement of scientific investigation – to bring life to the theory and underpinning knowledge of many of the most fundamental scientific concepts and nurturing a life-long interest in science, and; provide opportunities to develop skills crucial in science and engineering careers, including precision, accurate measurement, and the mastery of often delicate equipment; develop important transferrable skills, such as team-work, resilience and analysis.
“Fundamentally, science is a practical discipline and, by undertaking good practical science at school, one gains a sense of what working in a science-related occupation might actually involve.” – Lord Sainsbury (Gatsby Foundation)
Key Stage 5
At A-level students can deepen their appreciation from the formative experience they have already had in biology, chemistry and physics yet it will also still be relevant to real world experiences. It will enable students to choose how they might take their chosen specialism further or better understand, master and communicate the complex scientific concepts that underpin the modern world.
A wide and deep bank of subject knowledge will allow our students to leave Lutterworth College with the ability to ask better questions of the world, make more informed decisions and apply their knowledge to unfamiliar situations. We want our students to leave knowing how scientific discoveries are hypothesised, tested and peer reviewed. We want our students to have a scientific understanding of the world so they can comprehend developments in the news, study at A’ Level or degree, become an expert tradesman, engage in scientific conversations at any age of their life, appreciate the impact they have on the environment even help their own children with the homework!
We believe that our curriculum empowers young people and allows them to be the authors of their own lives.
Key Stage 4 & 5 Science Curriculum Map