Science
Welcome to our Curriculum Area!
“Anyone who has never made a mistake has never tried anything new.”
Albert Einstein (1879-1955)
Science is about trying something new and exploring how things work. At Merchants’ Academy we encourage all, both staff and students to explore new concepts and be innovative in their approaches to investigating theories.
Key Stage 3
The curriculum is split into Key Stage 3 Science and Key Stage 4. At Key Stage 3 all students explore a number of modules from the three main disciplines of Science; Biology, Chemistry and Physics. Students are engaged in practical activities for at least 50% of their curriculum time. At the end of each module, students complete a self assessment task and a summative examination.
Key Stage 4
At Key Stage 4 Students wither follow Edexcel BTEC level 2 First certificate in Applied Science or Edexcel GCSE 360 Science.
BTEC Pathway
The Edxcel BTEC level 2 First certificate in Applied Science is a work related course that involves the completion of assignments that are broken down into achievable tasks.
The work is presented as an assessed portfolio of evidence to demonstrate knowledge and understanding in the three different areas of Science.
GCSE Pathway
The GCSE is split into Edexcel GSCE Core and Additional science. Each are separate, Core in Year 10 and Additional in Year 11 so leads to two separate GCSE grades. Learning can be content or context based and there is a large emphasis on developing scientific skills alongside understanding.
Assessment:
| Multiple choice and short answer exams | 60% |
| Internal assessment activities (practical investigations) | 40% |
International Baccalaureate
The Academy is an IB World School and delivers the International Baccalaureate Diploma at KS5. The Science Department offers Environmental Systems and Societies, Biology and Chemistry to IB students.