Key Stage 3 Overview

Science helps students to understand and explain the natural world and the phenomena they encounter in everyday life. This can foster a sense of curiosity and wonder and help students to make informed decisions about the world around them. Through our science curriculum, we aim to inspire and motivate students to become curious, critical and confident learners, who understand how science fits into society and thereby encourage them to make a positive contribution to their local and wider community.

Our curriculum is designed to ensure that students have the opportunity to develop a deep understanding of the key scientific principles and concepts outlined in the National Curriculum and our schemes place a strong emphasis on practical skills, ensuring that students have regular opportunities to engage in hands-on, experiential learning. This helps to bring scientific concepts to life and allows students to apply their knowledge in a meaningful way to develop the scientists of the future. Students are encouraged to be independent learners and are also expected to work in small groups and to carry out experiments carefully and safely. The skills of planning, observing, analysing and evaluating are developed throughout the course and are assessed by teachers. Students will also complete tasks related to risks, variables, apparatus, graphs, trends, modelling and the development of ideas over time.

Within Key Stage 3 there are 4 lessons per week. Students are taught in groups of similar ability. Homework is given each week and students are tested on skills development during each topic, and on content at the end of each topic. Learning Logs are used by teachers to assess progress through individual units.

The topics we study at KS3 are: