South Axholme Community School English Department Details

South Axholme Academy SCIENCE DEPARTMENT

Science Department The science department at South Axholme Academy offers a broad and balanced science curriculum to all pupils throughout the school. There is a policy of continuous curriculum development and review. The department has a bank of curriculum material which is sufficiently supportive to free individual teachers of the need for routine lesson planning leaving time for effective planning to meet the needs of individual groups. The purpose of this is to ensure a high standard of teaching-learning interaction in the classroom with a common experience for all pupils. Work is shared on the school network.

Key Stage 3 science is taught over two years, following an Academy developed KS3 Science course. In Year 7 and 8 science accounts for 10% of the pupils’ curriculum time and pupils are taught in broadly similar groups. The curriculum has been organised into a series of ‘units’ of work, each providing an opportunity for APP followed by an end of term assessment. Test scores and APP levels form part of the departmental tracking system.

At Key Stage 4 some pupils follow the AQA Science A Specification leading to a GCSE in Core Science followed by one in Additional Science at the end of Year 11. There are a significant number of pupils in Year 9, 10 and 11 who have opted for the Triple Science route and are entered for GCSEs in the three separate sciences or Core Science, Additional Science and Further Additional Science. A small cohort of pupils are entered for BTEC Principles of Applied Science and Application of Science.

Core and additional science groups are taught by two teachers for a total of 20% curriculum time. The Triple science groups are taught by three specialist teachers for a total of 30% of curriculum time. Pupils are organised into a number of ability bands based on their performance at Key Stage 3.

The science department also has pupils completing BTEC Countryside and the Environment as part of the curriculum offered at Key Stage 4.

The department achieves excellent KS3 and GCSE results. BTEC results are also high in both Applied Science and Countryside and Environment.

Laboratory accommodation consists of 6 full-sized and one half size laboratories. All labs are equipped with Interactive White Boards. There is good technical support from 2 full time and 1 part time technicians. There is also a well trained teaching assistant assigned to the department.

Duties of the post within the Science Department

Duties will include:

1 Teaching science to year 7-11. All members of the department teach all aspects of science although in Key Stage 4 there is flexibility to allow stronger areas to be emphasised.

2 Setting and marking homework.

Science/Dept Teacher Details May 2015 3 Participating in the departmental system of recording achievement and target setting.

4 Writing reports.

5 To take a personal interest in curriculum development including various schemes of in- service training.

6 Other matters determined with the Subject Leader.

Science/Dept Teacher Details May 2015