Curriculum Intent

We want our students to be engaged, inspired, excited and challenged.   

We want our students to be good scientists.  

We want our students to be prepared for GCSEs and later life, so that they can achieve their potential  

Overview

Our science results consistently place us as one of the top performing schools in the borough, and a very strong performing school, nationally.   

Science is a core National Curriculum subject, and the Science Department aims to provide pupils of all abilities with a broad, balanced and relevant experience of the subject. They will develop an understanding of key concepts from all Sciences and an appreciation of the role of Science in their lives. Through theoretical and practical work, they will acquire skills and abilities relevant to both Science and everyday life, in areas such as experimental design, good laboratory practice, safety, organisation and communication.  

Students at Holy Family College follow a wide variety of routes through school depending on a variety of factors. Students complete a three-year modular Key Stage 3 using our bespoke iDEAL Science scheme, which aims to deliver the content in an accessible and interesting way, while accurately monitoring our students’ progress.  

Most students will then study Combined Science during Years 10 and 11, which will lead to them gaining two GCSEs, graded 1-1 to 9-9.    

For students who show a particular enthusiasm and aptitude for Science, we now offer Separate Science. This gives our students the opportunity to earn individual GCSE qualifications in Biology, Chemistry and Physics, so that they can access some of the more demanding A-level qualifications. Unlike Combined Science, our students will begin studying in year 9 and will sit their first GCSE in year 10.   

Staff

Resources/Facilities

The department has 6 dedicated science laboratories. Each room is equipped with a PC, projector and interactive white board. The labs are fully equipped with all the necessary scientific equipment to complete the GCSE Science core practical activities. The department has also invested in digital technology including data loggers and software to use alongside our bank of laptops.   

There are textbooks, revision guides, and exam focussed learning resources produced by our talented staff; all of which greatly enhance the learning experience for the students.  

Extending Learning and Enrichment Activities

We try to foster a love for Science early on by supplying opportunities for our students to engage in practical Science activities in the real world. We try to expose our students to experts from industry by inviting them into school and taking our students out for enrichment activities; in the past this has included visits from Manchester University, Jodrell Bank and trips to the Natural History Museum in London.  

Our KS3 students follow a bespoke curriculum, designed and written by our fantastic and experienced staff. They are provided with knowledge organisers for each topic and the opportunity to revise for their end of topic test to boost their overall performance. 

There are regular revision classes and intervention sessions for our GCSE students; these take place after the normal school day. Our website and MS Teams has also been populated with a wealth of revision resources to aid our students learning from home.