Critical to our survival, life enhancing, helping us to learn how to evaluate data and make great decisions, science is totally awesome.
Developing curiosity
Here at Rookwood, the Science department takes a practical approach to learning, gaining knowledge from experience. From the tiniest tots in nursery up to our exam grade students, we offer a continuous learning journey in which each pupil can build upon the skills and knowledge of science as they come up through the school. We aim to develop curious learners, encouraging pupils to ask questions about the world, welcoming complex queries and enquiring minds. With this approach to what can feel like a mind-boggling subject, science is made fun and exploratory. Pupils develop a self-paced passion for the world around them and the wealth of life that exists on our planet.
Curriculum
Rookwood pupils have a dedicated Science teacher covering all the Sciences through to Year 8, and in Year 9 lessons move to individual lessons of Biology, Chemistry and Physics, taught in specialist labs. During this year pupils decide whether to take the Dual Award Trilogy GCSE (a combination of Biology, Chemistry and Physics), or three separate Science GCSEs; Biology, Chemistry and Physics. We follow the AQA syllabus at GCSE offering pupils these options based on their motivations, interest and ability.
Biology
A fascinating and ever-changing field of science.
Alongside traditional topics like digestion, respiration and the circulatory system, we also examine topical issues such as stem cell research, the use of vaccines to fight disease, and genetic engineering. Everyone is curious to know about the workings of the human body, but we do not exist in isolation, so our interactions with the environment are also studied. Practical work develops understanding of key concepts and helps to bring the wow factor to lessons.
Chemistry
Allowing us to make a difference to the lives we lead. It is everywhere.
We study Chemistry in different contexts, through theory and through as much practical work as possible. During the GCSE course, students study: the periodic table, the alkali metals, they react metals with acids and do titrations, they look at exothermic and endothermic reactions, rates of reaction, hydrocarbons and plastics, chemical analysis, including the popular flame tests, chromatography, the evolution of the Earth and Greenhouse gases and the Earth and all its natural resources.
Physics
Encompassing everything to do with forces and energy from the unimaginably vast universe, to the very tiniest subatomic particles.
Everything in our universe works because of the laws of physics, and our understanding of those is so fascinating that studying them is sheer joy. In our lessons we base as much as we can on practical experience, taking every opportunity to bring out Newton meters, data loggers, circuit equipment, ray boxes, ramps, trolleys, ticker timers, ripple tanks, air tracks and so much more.
