Welcome to Science

Students at Ark Burlington Danes study science because it is a fundamental to the way we live and developing our futures.  Scientific knowledge will allow students to solve practical problems, make informed decisions, and have the future potential to develop new technologies. 

The scientific mindset that we teach our students will be key to them being able to identify problems, assess those problems and devise solutions to these problems using science knowledge.  These skills will allow them to engage with the world around them, making informed decisions based on science knowledge and principles.

The goal of science education is not knowledge of a body of facts and theories but a progression towards key ideas which enable understanding of events and phenomena of relevance to students’ lives.

Science is one of the most important subjects in school due to its relevance to students’ lives and the universally applicable problem-solving and critical thinking it uses and develops.  These are lifelong skills that allow our students to generate ideas, weigh decisions intelligently and even understand the evidence behind decision making.  A science education allows students to make connections to the world around them it is empowers them but also allows them to adapt and have insights to new advances in the scientific world.

We follow a coherent 5-year curriculum that every lesson is connected to, with a sophisticated interleaving of knowledge, practical and enquiry skills, mathematics and communication.

The Science Mastery 5-year curriculum map is organised under the ‘big ideas’ of science. This allows pupils to make links between topics, building ideas into a coherent picture of how the world works. Presenting new information under the umbrella of a familiar ‘big idea’ helps pupils to recognise the connectedness of science, and also how each new topic connects to everyday life and familiar contexts. This approach allows for the planned interleaving of prior learning with new learning in a meaningful way. We use engaging lessons, practical work and a real focus on science in their everyday lives to make sure they have the fundamental knowledge to progress.

During Year 9, students choose whether to study Separate Science or Combined Science as part of the options process. Separate Science leads to three GCSEs (one each in Biology, Chemistry and Physics) while Combined Science leads to two GCSEs covering all three sciences. Students opting for Separate Science will attend three additional after‑school lessons per week in year 10 and year 11 to cover the extended content. Whichever pathway students choose, both routes provide a strong foundation and allow students to progress to A‑level Science in the Sixth Form.

Academic progress is important when guiding our decisions for separate sciences in key stage 4 and A level in key stage 5 but a good attitude, willingness to work and a desire to move into a scientific field is also looked upon favourably.

All Year 7 subjects Next Year 7 Subject - History

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All Year 10 subjects Next Year 10 Subject - History

All Year 11 subjects Next Year 11 Subject - History

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