Our vision is to produce confident and articulate scholars who use the breadth and depth of their scientific knowledge to understand the modern world and are curious enough to ask questions about it. Our aim is for all scholars to work independently in both written and practical science so they can achieve fantastic results and have the freedom to pursue science in whichever capacity they choose.

We believe every child has the fundamental right to understand the world around them so they can help shape it.

The Key Stage 3 curriculum is built to help students understand the Big Ideas in Science.

This ensures students don’t accumulate a series of isolated scientific facts but instead build a knowledge-rich understanding of the modern world and can apply this inside and outside of the classroom.

These Big Ideas have been carefully sequenced throughout the Key Stage 3 curriculum. 

Big Ideas Sequencing Overview

The curriculum is taken from Ark Science Mastery, a bought in curriculum which is taught nationally. This curriculum is based on up-to-date research in secondary science education and is designed to produce expert scientists with a solid foundation of substantive and disciplinary knowledge at the end of KS3. 

Our curriculum is knowledge-rich and is designed to be remembered. Knowledge is sequenced hierarchically: students must secure foundational knowledge such as particle model of matter and energy before learning more complex material.

To ensure knowledge is not forgotten, retrieval is embedded into the curriculum:

• Each lesson begins with five retrieval practise questions linking prior learning to new material. 
• Each topic begins with a “Prior Knowledge Review” lesson(s) which helps students make links between prior knowledge to new learning
• Homework is set through Sparx, topics being chosen based on gaps and misconceptions from mini-tests and Big Tests.

All aspects of the national curriculum are covered in detail with the aims being thoroughly met:

• Scientific knowledge and conceptual understanding is taught through the Big Ideas in each discipline.
• An understanding of the nature, processes and methods of science are developed within each topic. The disciplinary knowledge of working scientifically and maths skills are mapped, becoming progressively more complex. 
• An understanding of the uses and implications of science is built within units, explicitly teaching real-life applications of their learning and exposing students to stories in science, science in the news and links with careers.

Disciplinary Knowledge Mapping

A curriculum aim in science is to develop confident and articulate scholars. We do this through developing the oracy of students through talking points which promote discussing a particular scientific idea or misconception. This means students regularly discuss common scientific misconceptions; they are probed to identify if they believe this incorrect idea which, if not addressed, make learning science more difficult. This supports students to clearly use scientific vocabulary in the correct context and allow students to articulate scientific concepts clearly and precisely.
 
Assessment is continual in science: formative assessment is used within lessons as progress checks to ensure pupils are ready to practise and apply their knowledge. In each lesson pupils work towards a golden thread task which demonstrates whether pupils have understood the main learning aims of the lesson. Pupils are assessed and given more structured feedback from selected pieces of extended writing and mini-tests of whole topics. Big tests are cumulative and show progress against the KS3 curriculum. Teachers in science use assessment purposefully and are mindful of the “curse of curriculum coverage”: if teachers diagnose through assessment their students don’t understand foundational knowledge, this is then retaught and re-assessed. This is the essential ingredient of excellent teaching and learning in science and ensures all students make good progress, including SEND and disadvantaged students. We understand what knowledge all students need to master and simply give more time to certain students to practise this knowledge.
 

Year 7 Science Curriculum 

Year 8 Science Curriculum

Year 9 Science Curriculum

The Key Stage 4 curriculum is built upon the well-sequenced, coherent substantive and disciplinary knowledge students have learnt at KS3.

These links are made explicit to students throughout KS4. Students study either the AQA Trilogy or AQA Combined Sciences pathway. The intended curriculum intentionally doesn’t strictly follow the specification order to ensure the material becomes progressively more challenging and students are continually revisiting prior concepts and making links between topics.

As we consider the curriculum as a 5-year plan, we continue to centre it around the same Big Ideas from KS3. This ensures students don’t accumulate a series of isolated scientific facts but instead build a knowledge-rich understanding of the modern world and can apply this inside and outside of the classroom.

Big Ideas Mapping Key Stage 4

Disciplinary Knowledge Mapping Key Stage 4

Whilst at Key Stage 3, oracy in science is focused on identified talking points focusing on common misconceptions this is broadened at Key Stage 4 to support students to talk about science in an interconnected way. They have more opportunities to retrieve knowledge through structured talk, make links between topics and analyse methods and results from Required Practical Activities, suggesting improvements.

The importance of retrieval practise is understood by all science teachers at MEA Central. It forms an essential part of teaching and learning. Memory platform is used as the do now activity, so students regularly revisit recently learnt material, as well as have spaced retrieval practise, frequently allowing students to make links between prior learning and new learning. During explanations, teachers make these links explicit to develop strong, interconnected schema and thus generate a good understanding of science. Finally, we use Sparx Science as the homework platform which all students complete each week. Here, students carry out regular retrieval practise pitched at an appropriate level of difficulty and are asked questions they have previously struggled with more frequently. Each week, teachers re-explain and assess the questions which were most poorly understood to address gaps in knowledge.

Assessment is continual in science: formative assessment is used within lessons as progress checks to ensure pupils are ready to practise and apply their knowledge. Teachers use assessment purposefully and are mindful of the “curse of curriculum coverage”: if teachers diagnose through assessment their students don’t understand foundational knowledge, this is then retaught and re-assessed. This is the essential ingredient of excellent teaching and learning in science and ensures all students make good progress, including SEND and disadvantaged students. We understand what knowledge all students need to master and simply give more time to certain students to practise this knowledge.

In each lesson pupils work towards a golden thread task which demonstrates whether pupils have understood the main learning aims of the lesson. Pupils are assessed and given more structured feedback from selected pieces of extended writing and mini-tests of whole topics. Progress exams simulate the GCSE examinations so students are preparing for the style of assessment, maximising their chance of success.

Year 10 Combined Science Curriculum

Year 10 Biology CurriculumYear 10 Chemistry CurriculumYear 10 Physics Curriculum

Year 11 Combined Science Curriculum

Year 11 Biology Curriculum

Year 11 Chemistry Curriculum

Year 11 Physics Curriculum