Department of Science

Curriculum Leader:

David Price (david.price@stmichaels.bhcet.org.uk)

Assistant Curriculum Leader:

Kirsty Stewart

Vicky Bryson

Jodi Dearlove

Departmental staff:

Edward Robertson

Sue Trattles

Judith Illey (curriculum lead for Health and Social care) 

Subject Background:

“I am neither clever nor especially gifted, I am only very very curious” - Albert Einstein

The intent of the science department at St. Michael’s is to develop scientific knowledge and conceptual understanding of the processes and methods of science across the five years from Year 7 to Year 11. It provides students with the opportunity to realise their potential by providing breadth, depth, stretch and challenge.

The curriculum is designed so that the fundamental knowledge and skills are introduced early and then revisited regularly, strengthening retrieval of key knowledge and extending it as students move through the academy by using increasingly detailed models and theories of the concepts involved. Topics are sequenced so that they link logically together and build upon each other, term-by-term and year-by-year.

We follow the AQA KS3 syllabus and AQA GCSE specifications, which fully cover the KS3 and KS4 Programmes of Study. The AQA KS3 syllabus is structured in a way that secures the knowledge needed to access the subject skills and to apply knowledge. Concepts are structured into 10 Big Ideas, ensuring that they are delivered in a coherent way, helping students to grow a connected body of knowledge for each subject discipline.

The AQA courses aim to secure knowledge before moving on to the next stage of learning. This enables us to develop engaging components and lessons that will embed the scientific knowledge, working scientifically skills, mathematical skills and command words from the AQA GCSE syllabus in to KS3, to act as a solid foundation for GCSE.

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Revision Checklists - Science

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KS3 Revision:

Activate1 Knowledge Organisers

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Activate2 Knowledge Organisers

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Useful Links:

https://my.educake.co.uk/teacher-login - Educake

https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/subjects/zyxyvwx - Bitesize KS3 Science

https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/subjects/zng4d2p - Information, Videos & Quizzes

https://gradegorilla.com/KS3-physics-revision-questions.php - Self-Marking revision quizzes

https://senecalearning.com/  - KS3 Science section (set up a free account)